Here's chapter 2, a little late because of maths courswork. God I hate that stuff.
Thl, thank you for the review. Greatly appreciated :)
Chapter 2….
"They're gone?" Hige scratched his head in puzzlement and looked off in the direction towards the city. Kiba nodded. Both wolves had awoken to find their pack of four had mysteriously dwindled down to just the two of them. "What? Both of them?"
"Yes." Kiba answered coolly distracted by the thought of paradise. However he continued "It's obvious where they've both gone. Tsume couldn't restrain himself from excitement of the city."
"And Toboe?" Hige asked oblivious to how obvious the answer was
"He followed Tsume, and they're probably in there now creating more problems for us." Kiba finished with a long depressed sigh. The visions and dreams of the Cheza in peril had finally taken their toll on the relatively calm leader. He could feel her essence all around him manipulating his thoughts away from the other members of his pack.
He was quickly awoken from his world of dreams by a loud rumbling noise coming from the direction of Hige.
"Ahh, I think we'd better head out to the city as well." Hige said rubbing his stomach in an attempt to comfort it. Kiba stared at his companion sharply; knowing going to the city would only delay his search for Cheza longer. He finally lowered his eyes and nodded. Turning into their wolf forms they set off not knowing what they were running into.
Further on into the inner bowels of the city another choice was being made...
Mr. Stinger winced as the wild grey wolf increased the pressure of his paw on the human's back. It glared at him, stone, yellow eyes full of hatred. He couldn't understand why it had caused such a scene over a lanky brown mutt. Which he'd watched in dismay escape through a pipe. He'd wanted revenge so much on that particular dog, but then again he wanted revenge on most dogs. As they were a threat to mankind in his opinion. An intimidating growling noise reminded him of his present problem. He had to get the crazed beast off him somehow. He searched around his surroundings for an answer.
Tsume inhaled and exhaled deeply purposely forcing his breathing to sound fierce. He'd managed to destruct the warden's plans of adding another victim to his collection.
"That dog looked so familiar..." he muttered underneath his breath. He wondered if it had actually managed to escape through the pipes, city pipes were usually like long complicated mazes that lead you to nothing but sewage. It couldn't have gone too far, he could still catch it. Although it left him clueless why he would even want to. He eyed his prey severely, nothing had changed. The helpless life form hadn't moved but he noticed its eyes darting around like irritated flies. Tsume smirked "There is no escape..."
A sudden ringing noise agitated Tsume's hearing; it steadily grew louder remaining in its generic rhythm. Soon it was accompanied by a chorus of panting and cursing sounds. As it got closer, Tsume glanced towards the deserted alleyway from the corner of his curious eye. Nothing, absolutely nothing. Maybe he was just imagining things. His theory was soon dismissed as a tall figure stumbled clumsily round the corner.
"Kian! You idiot, over here!" Tsume brought his attention back to Mr. Stinger, who was now yelling to what looked like his apprentice. Or at least he thought. A strange looking man really, long and slim in build but not the slightest bit elegant. He bore disheveled garments that were carelessly slung around his pathetic excuse of a life form. The colours of his hair confused Tsume the most; an acidic green colour outlined with blue and red streaks. Definitely an unusual thing. Despite all this, Tsume knew quite confidently he could see Kian off with a small amount of force. However Mr. Stinger still needed to be taught a lesson.
"Uh... yes s-sir I'm hurrying!" Kian stuttered his trembling hands reloading the tranquilizer gun. Tsume watched him plotting his next move; he had to admit this was quite humorous. Never before in his life had he seen such a display of disaster.
"Alright sir, you want me to get 'im?" Kian asked staring nervously at Tsume. "He's err... quite big, isn't he sir?"
"Hurry up and get this monster off me! We'll discuss what will happen to him later." Mr. Stinger yelled at his witless apprentice. Kian nodded and shakily prepared himself, he'd never shot a dog before. This was only his first day as Mr. Stinger's assistant and already he'd caused enough problems to last a lifetime. He didn't want to mess up this time. Tightening his grip on the gun he closed his eyes and pulled the trigger. Tsume pricked his ears up at the sudden noise and practically flew out of the way.
"Maybe, I've had enough fun for today. Besides I better get back to the others." he mused to himself. Without another thought he spurred off towards the entrance of the pipes. He could wait there until Mr. Stinger and Kian had abandoned their dog torture session.
"Kian, you moron! Get him! Get the bloody creature!" shrieked Mr. Stinger having made a speedy recovery from his shock. Kian started after Tsume but within a few strides he'd toppled over his own feet and was sent crashing to the floor.
"Kian! Get up, get up! Hurry, he's getting away!" he cried in a last desperate attempt to motivate his apprentice. He scouted round looking for the grey scarred wolf. Nothing. "Damn it Kian! That's the third time today you've let one escape."
Kian pulled himself into a sitting position, glaring idly at the floor in shame." I'm sorry sir, I'm so sorry..."
A new scent invoked Hige's nose and encouraged the tan wolf to increase his speed. Kiba ran at his side reluctantly wishing they could be running in the opposite direction towards Cheza. The city was vaguely visible through a vale of mist, they'd almost reached it. Kiba noticed Hige's change in pace and pushed himself into a harder run. Snow clouding his vision as he battled with the aggressive blizzard, which had slowly crept up to the pair. He had to admit it; the search for rakuen grew harder each day. Growing weary from fighting through each new problem only to be confronted with yet another. Maybe he just wasn't up for it. "I should just stand and watch." he whispered to himself. As much as he wanted to find Cheza and take the others to Rakuen, he no longer had the thrill to entangle his doubts. Truly he was very depressed, and he'd decided to stop and tell Hige. However his plan was thwarted.
"Heh, looks like we're finally here!" Hige said with relief, turning to face the white wolf. He noticed the miserable expression on Kiba's face. Of course he didn't expect him to show at least a remote sense of excitement, which was his nature. But he just looked so sad and defeated.
"Good, took long enough." Kiba replied raising his head to take in the city's atmosphere. Hige was watching him warily.
"Are you alright?"
"I was about to ask you the same thing."
"Nothing, nothing at all. I'm fine." Kiba didn't want to worry the only upbeat wolf of the pack. He was sure without Hige he'd go insane.
"If you say so. I'm just worried about the others." Hige was sure Kiba had lied but he wasn't going to pursue the matter further.
"Tsume can look after himself, or so he says. And Toboe will be with him as we speak. Even if he isn't, he's not an idiot. He's knows how to keep himself from any trouble." Kiba was astonished by the amount of words he'd just used. He hadn't spoken so much since he'd been with Cheza.
"I hope you're right, we'd better start searching for some food." Hige said with a pleading grin.
"We should..."Hige followed Kiba's lead in to the city labyrinth. They walked for some time around the winding alleyways seeking a source of food. Keeping to their Human forms much to Kiba's disappointment, they'd asked a few strangers for directions. The people around here seemed to be generally normal; they treated others as they treated them. It was a truce. The city itself was reeking in neglect. Most buildings had boarded up windows and clumps missing out of them. Every now and then there was some sort of shop selling items useless to the two wolves. Hige's stomach had started to wail hysterically trying to attract its owner's attention. It had succeeded.
"Kiba, look over there!" Hige said pushing his companion in the shoulder to get his attention. The startled wolf looked to where Hige was pointing. He gasped at what lay in front of them. An enraged shopkeeper rushed around his up turned cart hastily picking up his stock. Muttering curses underneath his breath about some overgrown dog attacking his stall. Kiba and Hige made their way carefully towards the scene, keeping in mind they'd have to be fast.
"Damn dog, should all be put down! That's what I think. Put down! The lot of 'em!"
Hige licked his lips attempting to concentrate, the scent of fresh meat was making him feel light headed and giddy. He couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten. Last night? No, it felt much longer then that. Just how long had it been?
"Arggh more of you mangy mutts!" The shopkeeper had diverted his attention to the devious looking pair that crouched beneath his stall. "I couldn't catch that grey nuisance, but I'm definitely not letting you escape!"
"Hige! C'mon move it!" Kiba yelled, knowing Hige wouldn't leave food so easily. The tan wolf gave the food paradise one last look of regret and followed after Kiba into a dark alleyway.
Upon catching up to Kiba, they both stopped and panted for while. Eventually Hige spoke...
"I think all that commotion back there had something to do with Tsume."
Only after a few hours after his encounter with the dog warden, Tsume found himself crouching down in a cramped sewage pipe. The deeper he went the smaller it seemed to get. On the verge of turning back he tripped over a large fluffy mound. Not daring to turn into his human form, he nudged the lump hoping it would move. It didn't. He resorted to pushing it viciously with his paw. This time there was a response, a low pitched yelp and a set of teeth weakly clamped around Tsume's paw. Tsume growled and quickly pulled away his paw.
"Fine, if you won't move I'll make you!" he bit into the defenseless form and started to pull it to the way he'd come in. It struggled a little against his guard put eventually gave up and let itself be dragged.
Tsume could faintly make out the first signs of daylight, they were almost out. Mr. Stinger and Kian couldn't possibly have waited all that time just for one dog they had a grudge against. Or had they? Tsume pondered to himself. Their scent still remained, but not quite as distinct and foul as it had been before, but still there. He had no other choice he wanted rid of this stubborn creature that refused to abide with his requests.
The metallic taste of blood devoured any other in his mouth; he must have bit it quite hard. Momentarily he slithered out of the hole and pulled a brown wolf with him. He landed painfully on his side and grimaced in pain. After recomposing himself he turned around to find Toboe lying there, with a tranquilizer missile stuck in his back and a bloody bite mark in his neck. His eyes flickered open every now and then and he tried to get up.
A look of sheer horror on his face, Tsume rushed towards his fallen comrade.
"Toboe!" he snarled trying help the bedraggled wolf up." You idiot... why did you have to follow me. Why?!" No response. He nudged the younger wolf gently trying to get a response. Toboe forced his eyes to stay open, knowing they were too heavy to keep open for long. What was wrong with him? Why did he need to sleep so much? Sure, he was tired, but he'd never felt like this before. Another thing the puzzled the little wolf greatly was why Tsume seemed to be so angry.
Tenacious, he pushed himself up with a great effort, using every ounce of his strength.
The world around him was a distorted mess of shapes and wild colours; he could only just see Tsume. The grey wolf had started help him up.
"Toboe... you've been hit with a tranquilizer, keep still and you won't get hurt." Tsume explained to him letting the brown wolf lean on him. Toboe felt a great sure of regret and shame, like so many times before he had depending on Tsume for his life, without realizing it. He hated himself for doing it, but he couldn't stop himself. He wanted Tsume to think of him as a strong independent wolf not a clingy weakling. He desired so much just to be like Tsume, but any effort he made was wasted.
"You alright there kid? Those things are pretty strong..." Tsume sighed. "How do you get yourself into these problems?"
"T-they just happen... no matter where I go, no matter what I do, I always get myself into a mess and end up counting on you." Toboe stuttered his eyes begging him to let them fall. "You're probably fed up of risking your neck to save me. Or waiting so I can catch up, and I don't blame you Tsume. The only thing I wanted to have was a sense of belonging, a sense that I was wanted. If I ever did find it I've abused it, so much that it's slipped away into nothing." His eyes finally won the fight and he was pulled back into the world of dreams.
Tsume was left speechless; he'd never seen Toboe like this. He was usually the happiest of all of them, always happy resilient to depression. He wouldn't have expected Toboe to possess those sorts of feelings. Looking down on the sleeping wolf and analyzing his features, Tsume felt a great surge of sympathy flood through his body. Filling ever empty cold corner of him.
The hazy darkness of nightfall approached, Tsume had decided he'd stay here for the night; it seemed safe enough, for now at least. He settled down next to the younger wolf, and fell into sleep himself.
"Mr. - M- Mr. Stinger!" Kian called from the top of a pile of derelict rubble. His voice croaking as it had not broken properly yet."
Not so loud, are they asleep?" Mr. Stinger said as he emerged from the depths of his ancient artifact of a van. Kian nodded causing a collision in the rocks.
"Be careful, will you? The slightest noise will wake them up. Have you any idea of how much we could get for the pair?
"Uh... no Mr. Stinger, Sir, and no I haven't."
"We'll be made for life! Look at the size of the beasts! Think about the auctions for dogs strong enough to pull a sledge full of loot." His smile grew larger as he thought of the dreams he could finally carry out with all that money.
"B-but sir..."
"What is it?"
"Shouldn't we just hand them in to the pound?" Kian wasn't sure he'd said the right thing. The smile had gone from his master's face.
"Kian, if you tell anyone, and I mean anyone at all. If you tell them, you won't live to see the day that you regret it! Now, get over here and take a look at this." Kian ambled carefully over to Mr. Stinger, almost tripping over a large clump of rocks as he passed them. As he got closer, his master pulled something from underneath his van. It was slim in shape, and looked almost like a harpoon.
"Now, look at this Kian my lad." He started, Kian looked greatly confused. "This is what's gunna completely destroy that big one's energy. It's powerful, one of the most powerful tranquilizers you could say. But look, I only have the one, and that's where you come in." He handed Kian a large club. "See that brown one?" Kian nodded. "I want you to whack him hard enough to knock him out again incase he's recovered. Got that?"
"Y-Yeah, I can do that." Kian said as he started towards the alleyway.
"Oh and Kian? Try no to mess things up this time. Without another word, Kian positioned himself behind the wall out of sight. Mr. Stinger busied himself loading the harpoon like weapon, he watched Kian with a steady eye. Praying that he'd get it right this time and he could go home a rich man. The gun was prepared; he climbed to the top of the small rock mountain again. Taking great caution not to knock anything.
He'd reached the top and was peering over the wall glaring in the awe of his new found fortune. Harpoon in place and aim readied he took a few seconds to countdown before he shot.
After a few moments Kian heard a loud yelp of anguish, he knew it was his time to act. Determined to succeed for just once, he leapt out from his hiding place to play his part in the making of Mr. Stinger's fortune. Just as Mr. Stinger had told him, the grey wolf lay unconscious while the brown one pawed at it desperately whining and howling. Kian brought all of his courage together and charged into battle.
"Tsume! Tsume! Wake up! No, don't be dead! Don't be dead." Toboe pawed frantically at his friend in panic. Tears filling his golden eyes, he didn't want to lose another he'd grown so close to. Tsume's eyes slowly opened only to shut again in a matter of seconds. The petrified wolf gave a sigh of relief, as long as Tsume was alright, he was too. However the danger was far from over. They were back. He could hear the demonic laughter from Mr. Stinger, pleased that he'd hit his target. But where was the other?
"Get 'im Kian! One hard hit!" he laughed madly to himself. Toboe jumped around to face the teenage wreck. He was holding a weapon that Toboe assumed he was going to use on him. He wanted to run away and hide so much... no. He couldn't leave Tsume. He had only one choice, stand his ground and fight with honor. Snarling, his teeth scarped against each other his throat delivered blood curdling growls of enragement. Kian paused and began to tremble.
"KIAN! Hit the damned beast! Hit him! Damnit I'll do it myself." Hastily looking for something to throw at the wolf, a saddened howl echoed against the night sky. He couldn't leave it another second; a large rock would be adequate for now.
Toboe had his attacker where he wanted him, although it wasn't like Toboe to injure a human, he only persisted with his aggressive behavior to protect Tsume. "Protect Tsume..." the words sounded odd in his mind. Maybe he could finally prove himself to be of some worth to the pack. He gazed up proudly at the night sky, it's embroidery of stars shining as radiant as they ever had. The moon was missing; it usually did after the night of a full one. It made Toboe feel a little uncomfortable. In fact he felt generally uncomfortable; everything was running according to plan. That never happened.
"Something bad is going to happen..."He knew it; he felt its lingering presence around him. Was Kian going to do something unexpectedly? No. He was far too afraid of Toboe, he wouldn't. The answer came in the form of an immensely hard knock on the head. For the second time that day Toboe's vision blurred and the familiar deathly feeling returned. He could feel a wetness dribbling slowly down his face, pain ebbed into the whole of his body, he just wanted to lie down and sleep.
"I-I-I can't leave Tsume!" he howled in despair. Soon after the first impact came another and this time it defeated him. Slipping slowly to the ground in the quickly expanding lake of ruby liquid. He embraced sleep and knew no more.
"AH HA! Did you see that Kian my lad? Did you see that? Got him right in the center of that arrogant head of his. Ha yes!" Mr. Stinger rejoiced leaping over the wall to collect his trophies. "Ah Kian, we'll be rich. Think of it... all that precious m-" he stopped as his gaze hovered over Toboe's bruised and battered body. He bent down to the motionless body checking for a pulse. Relieved when he found one he slung the wolf over his shoulder. The blood stained his already dirt encrusted jacket.
"Get the other Kian, that's if you can manage him?" Kian jumped at the call of his name, he was still in the inner hallways of shock. Mr. Stinger gave him a strong look of disrespect. Sighing, he picked himself up and made his way to the grey wolf.
"There's a lad, you'll see. We'll be rich in no time at all."
"Did you hear that?" Kiba awoke from his slumber to hear Hige mourning.
"It's probably that man looking for us. We'd better move on anyway, I don't care for these surroundings. He said tilted his head towards the rat plagued alleyway.
"No, Kiba it was a howl. It sounded like Toboe."
"Was it close?" Kiba wondered whether Toboe was calling them to reunite and leave. He perked up a little; he wanted to leave the city. "Let's go find him." Both in human forms, they pushed their way out to the main road of the city.
A rusted van with a peculiar scent had stopped by the lights. Hige's nose immediately picked up on it. A very familiar scent, but what? He moved in for a closer look when a tall boy about his age exited the van.
"Hey, you can't go back there!" he yelled noticing the boy's sudden interest in the van.
"Oh really? Why is that then?" Hige questioned the amusing stranger; he couldn't help but laugh at the guy. The boy lowered his head and glanced around nervously. "Can you keep a secret?"
"Sure." What and idiot, Hige thought quietly to himself. What would possess you to walk up to a stranger in the street and tell him all your secrets? Not a wise thing, Hige was sure, but still he was curious.
"I and Mr. S just bagged ourselves some prime dog gold." he mused excitedly
"Prime dog gold?"
"Yeah, two gigantic dogs the size of bears you could almost say and-"
"Kian, get back in the van, will you? They're expecting us in two hours." Mr. Stinger called from the van growing steadily more inpatient. Kian gave Hige a wink and strided back towards the van.
"Gigantic dogs... Did he mean wolves?" Hige wondered.
"What about wolves?" Kiba had noticed Hige's absence. Hige ignored him; two dogs the size of bears... He couldn't possibly mean!? As the lights turned green and the van sped of from his eye shot, a feeling of loss came over him. He looked at Kiba and with guilty eyes; he didn't know how to break the news to the leader.
"Hige, what is it?"
"I don't think Toboe's howl was for a meeting. No. I think it was something far more serious. It was a plea for help..."
Chapter 3 coming soon…