All right, chapter four is finally up. The action picks up a bit in this chapter and the plot thickens. Please leave a reivew to let me know if you liked it. Thank you in advance. Now on to the chapter.
Episode 04: The Wolf, the Flower Maiden, and the Noble
It was still early afternoon as Aibo lead the wolves to the center of town heading in the direction of the large building that housed the lab where Cheza was waiting. The five of them were a rather odd looking group as the walked down the city sidewalks. Aibo, the shortest of all, was out in front with Toboe. The two of them were chattering away. Kiba and Hige kept pace with one another in the middle and Tsume trailed in the back. Apparently, he was the only one who thought this looked weird.
He stopped for a moment and took in the surroundings. Soon Tsume, along with the others, would be leaving this city behind. However, he couldn't help but think about how they were going to survive on the outside. Finally, Tsume decided to shake it off. It wasn't going to do him any good mulling over it now. Guess we'll just learn to deal with hunger or get good at hunting, he decided. Then something caught the gray wolf's eye. It was Gehl, and he was with that girl Toboe had shown himself to. The girl's father was standing near them talking to one of the street merchants. Gehl spotted Tsume and after a few words to the girl ran over to the gang leader.
"Uh, hi Tsume." Gehl's voice was awkward.
Tsume raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"I um, I'm leaving the gang." Gehl looked a little scared not sure of how his former leader would react.
"Good for you, kid," Tsume nodded being genuine, not sarcastic.
"You're . . . not mad?"
Tsume shrugged, "It's already broken up. There's no point in trying to get everyone back together again. Tell Seto for me if you see him."
"Why? Are you going somewhere?"
"Yeah, I'm leaving this city."
"All right. Well, I hope we meet again someday. Oh by the way, Leara, that girl over there. Her father decided to take me in. So, I guess I've got a family now."
"I happy for ya, kid. See you around." Tsume walked away following the others and waved a hand at Gehl without turning around.
"See you around, Tsume!" Gehl called out and then ran back over to Leara and her father.
"Who was that?" Kiba asked looking back at Tsume.
"Just someone I know," Tsume put it in a matter of fact way.
The sun had set by the time they reached the lab and the perimeter was swarming with guards. "Geeze, there's no way we're getting there. The security's too tight. We gotta think of something else," Hige pondered.
"I can get us in," Aibo chirped up.
"Yeah, how?" Hige wasn't going to believe it until he saw it.
"Come on, just walk right in and act natural."
"You have to be kidding me."
"Trust me. It'll work." It went against Hige's better judgment, but he finally chose to go along with it. Maybe the kid would surprise them again. The group strode right up to the front door. None of the guards paid any attention to them. The wolves eyed the guards warily not really understanding what was going on. Then as they reached the door one of the guards took notice of the group. Kiba was ready to pounce on the guy, but Aibo spoke up in a whisper.
"Don't move! Just look at him," Aibo instructed the wolves.
"Oh here, let me get that for you." The guard walked over and swiped a card through a notch next to a keypad and lights. One of the lights light up green and the latch on the door clicked open.
"Hey, thanks," Toboe blurted out.
"Ah, just doing my job," the guard replied holding the door open for the five of them. Once they were inside and away from any other people Tsume decided to press Aibo for an explanation.
"Okay, what's going on?"
"Remember how I said I can mimic your abilities? Well, instead of seeing your human forms they just saw a group of scientists. I can enhance and imitate your ability to conceal yourselves by creating a illusion over your human forms."
"This is getting annoying. Next time, tell us what you're going to do before you do it!"
"Do you want to stand here lecturing me or do you want to find the flower maiden?" That ended the discussion. They walked further on through one hallway after another. Kiba perked up because he could smell the scent of lunar flowers and it was quite strong. Soon the other wolves noticed it, too. Finally, Aibo came to a halt in front of a room just before where Cheza was kept. Kiba was almost in a sort of trance. He could feel the flower maiden's presence so very close now. Aibo had to grab the white wolf to snap him out of it because he almost walked into the next room.
"What are you doing? Let's go," Kiba insisted.
"It won't do any good to get caught now after having come this far," Aibo explained pointing to a woman standing in the next room. She was pacing back and forth nervously. Just behind the woman were the doors leading into the room where Cheza was sleeping. The woman pulled out a cell phone from her coat pocket and pressed a few buttons.
"Darcia, we've got a problem. There's a lot more security here than I anticipated. Something is up. I need you to get here as soon a possible." The woman was Cher. She continued speaking with the noble filling him in on the situation as he gave her instructions. Cher turned and faced the wall leaving her back to the room. Aibo had been watching her from the hallway and now he signaled for everyone to make a run for the doors. It wasn't much of a problem for four wolves to make a short run silently. Soon the five of them were through the doors without Cher even noticing their presence.
"Who was that?" Tsume thought aloud.
"Cher Degre. She helped create Cheza right here in this lab," Aibo explained. "Although last time, she merely studied Cheza, looking for a way to awaken her."
"How do you know all this?"
"I told you already; the events of past cycles repeat themselves in future ones, just not always in the same manner. I'm trying to break the cycle by having you four do things differently. Hopefully that will be enough." Kiba drifted over to tube where Cheza slept. He was completely entranced.
"Cheza," Kiba whispered placing his hand on the glass as he gazed up at the sleeping flower maiden. "Come on, we have to get her out of there!" Kiba demanded earnestly.
"Let's wake her up, first. Kiba, did you know that she can sense yours, Tsume's, Toboe's, and Hige's presence. Just look at her face." The wolves looked at Cheza and a smile started to appear on her face. She leaned forward against the supports that held her in the tube. There were gold rings around her wrists and neck with chains made of small golden balls. Two silver metal hooks around her underarms supported the majority of her weight. "Cheza is already responding to all of you. If we could just stimulate her a little more she'll wake up."
"How are we supposed to do that?" Tsume queried Aibo.
"Well, last time blood did the trick. Wolf's blood, though, it had to be wolf's blood."
"All right," Kiba replied, but his tone was weird. He sounded like he had just figured out what he needed to do. Kiba pulled back his right arm smashed his fist into the glass.
"What the hell are you doing?" Hige panicked. Immediately, cracks began to appear. Kiba clenched his teeth as he pressed his fist harder and harder into the glass. Finally, the tube shattered to pieces. Glass fell everywhere and the green liquid spilled all over the floor. Blood covered Kiba's hand and forearm. Gashes had been carved into him from the glass shards.
"Kiba!" Aibo cried in fright and worry as he watched blood drip from the wolf's hand.
"It had to be done," Kiba replied calm and focused as ever. "Besides, they're just scratches." He brushed it off like it was nothing. Aibo still looked worried about Kiba, but the child's eyes also held something else, another emotion. It was great admiration for the white wolf.
"Ahh," came a soft sound which caught all their attention. Everyone looked back at Cheza. Her mouth was open and slowly she made small gasps breathing in air for the first time. Her eyes were just slightly open, yet still everyone could see their pink and blood red color. Kiba jumped into the remains of the Cheza's tube and broke her chains before lifting her from the metal hooks. Tsume walked over took Cheza as Kiba lowered her, though, Kiba was reluctant to let go of her. Cheza laid face up on Tsume's arms as he held her. She was waking up, but slowly. Kiba jumped down from the tube and Aibo ran over to him.
"Here, let me see your hand," the child instructed.
"It's fine," Kiba stated.
"Just do it," Aibo insisted. The wolf held out his hand for Aibo to inspect. Aibo carefully turned Kiba's injured hand palm up and gently pressed it between his own hands. Kiba made a slight sound from pain, but nothing that betrayed his tough guy appearance. A pale green glow exuded from the child's hands. A few moments later the cuts on Kiba's hand and forearm were closed and all traces of them disappeared. There weren't even scars left.
"How . . ." Kiba started.
"I can accelerate your own natural ability to heal, and I can heal faster just by being around you guys," Aibo quickly explained.
Tsume gave half a chuckle, "That explains how you healed so quickly after I found you." Aibo nodded in confirmation.
"Who are you people, and what are you doing with Cheza?!!" Cher stood in the doorway glaring at all of them. She had heard the loud noises and came to investigate. However, the woman had no idea what she was confronting.
"We're leaving, Cher. And we are taking Cheza with us," Aibo stated firmly. Cher just blinked and went wide-eyed.
"Wha . . . How did you know my name? Never mind, give Cheza back now!" she demanded.
"No! She's coming with us!" Kiba shouted back staring at Cher angrily.
"Is that so?" came a deep calm voice. Darcia appeared next Cher and then advanced into the room. He was wearing a black feathered headdress and a white mask with a patch over the left eye. "Wolves?" the noble said as he glanced around at everyone. Fear crept over Cher's face.
"What? Where?"
Darcia laughed briefly before explaining, "I'm certain you know that they say wolves have been extinct for two hundred years, however, here they stand before you with the flower maiden. Now hand her over!" Darcia approached Tsume who was still holding Cheza. As the noble did so Kiba jumped between them. "Move wolf!" Darcia clenched his fists.
"What a minute. Darcia, you and Cher . . . are working together?" Aibo asked in confusion. However, he got Darcia's attention. Darcia stared straight at Aibo.
"What . . . are you?" the noble asked.
"This is really different than anything from before. You never teamed up with anyone else before."
"Boy, how do you know me?" Darcia was growing irritated at Aibo's seemingly absent absentmindedness as the child continued talking to himself.
"All right, let's call a truce for now, okay? And, sufficet to say, for right now we both just want to get Cheza out of this place, right?" Aibo proposed.
"Fine, this way," Darcia directed everyone. He didn't seem pleased, but this was only a temporary arrangement.
Darcia left the room leading everyone down an adjacent hall. There was a small door at the end. He opened it and motioned for everyone to follow. By now Kiba had taken Cheza from Tsume. Her eyes were halfway open and she was starting to look at her surroundings. The group travailed through a small passageway which put them outside, behind the lab and away from the guards. Darcia continued to lead the group through back ways and passages of the city until they came to large open area, surrounded by buildings, near the dome's exit. There sat Darcia's airship ready to take off. However, a large group of soldiers were surrounding the ship. Then another detachment of soldiers encircled the area trapping the wolves, Aibo, Darcia, Cher, and Cheza. Each and every soldier was armed with an automatic rifle type of gun.
"These soldiers don't belong to Orkham," Darcia noted.
"How perceptive of you, lord Darcia. You . . . weren't thinking of betraying our partnership by stealing the flower maiden now, were you?" a voice taunted them. It was Orkham, himself. He emerged from among the soldiers to confront the group. "Dr. Degre, I'm very disappointed with you. You were quite a promising scientist, however, there are plenty more where you came from." Orkham laughed to himself. He was going savor this moment and gloat for all he was worth. "There . . . are quite a few benefits to making friends with the nobles of the far east. In fact, these hybrid soldiers are just one such benefit."
"Hybrid soldiers? You mean they're genetically engineered?" Cher asked.
"Quite correct, Doctor. You are an astute woman," a cold voice came from behind Orkham. Another figure appeared and moved ahead of Orkham. "However, hybrid denotes that they were crossed with something else. Imagine the possibilities when you hybridize a human with a wolf. However, these are mere prototypes. The real masterpieces are much more," the figure paused for a moment, "interesting, I assure you."
"Who the hell are you?!" Kiba shouted.
"Ah, pardon me. I am called lord Dark, and this is my associate, the lord of this city and the surrounding regions, lord Orkham. Now then, are you all prepared to die? First though, I shall take the flower maiden."
Dark strolled forward, slowly approaching the group. Kiba, preparing for a fight, set Cheza on the ground. Although still in somewhat of a trance, she was awake enough to stand on her own. At that moment, Kiba caught sight of Aibo. The child looked like he was going to wet himself. His gaze was affixed to lord Dark. At this moment, Dark took notice of Aibo and a bout of menacing laughter followed.
"Ah, I see the boy is with you," Dark realized and continued laughing. "Well, now I can kill you at last," he said to Aibo. Kiba glared at Dark with a fierce rage burning in those blue spheres of his.
"What the hell makes you think that you'll get close enough before I rip out your throat," Kiba was surprised by his protective reaction.
"Who said I needed to get close?" Dark reached his left arm outward as if to grab something. A slender metal pole one inch thick, from one of the surrounding buildings, came flying into Dark's open hand. He grasped the pole firmly. The ends were broken and sharp making it look like a spear, and the pole itself was shorter that Dark's forearm. Dark stretched his arm out forward and released his grip on the pole letting it rest in his palm. Then the pole rose into the air and shot forward like a bullet. It was going straight for Aibo's head. Kiba shoved the kid out of the way and the pole pierced straight through his right shoulder. The pole went in and out of the wolf, burying itself into the pavement they stood upon. Blood began pouring out from the wound in Kiba's shoulder. "So then, you wish to prolong your torment? Very well, I am more that willing to oblige you."
Lord Dark started to move closer to Kiba and the others when out of nowhere the noble was stuck in his right shoulder and throw aside by a slender beam of golden yellow light. An explosion resulted when the beam collided with a building in its path. Many of the nearby soldiers were hit by the shock wave and killed instantly. The other soldiers were in a state of chaos and confusion without a leader. Orkham had conveniently disappeared, running away from the fight to save his own hide.
"Hey look, someone's up there on that building," Toboe pointed out to everyone else. The figure was wearing a large black trench coat that billowed freely in the slight breeze, but he was too well shadowed for any more of his features to be ascertained. Then he vanished. Darcia, however, took advantage of the confusion and dashed toward his airship with unbelievable speed. He easily tossed aside the soldiers that barred his path as though they were rag dolls. Darcia opened a small control panel on the outside of his ship and punched in a sequence of instructions. The ship responded instantly, the engines hummed as they powered up. Then red beams from the ship's weapons arced across the area killing the rest of the soldiers.
"Cher, come quickly! We have to go, now!" Darcia called out to her as he opened the ship's outer door and a ramp extended down from the door to the ground. Then Darcia directed his gaze at Kiba. "Wolf, I do not have the time to fight with you, but I will have the flower maiden. She is mine! I created her. Cheza is not vital to you," Darcia reasoned with the white wolf.
"No! Cheza is staying with us! She's more important to us than anything," Kiba countered.
"Kiba . . ." Aibo spoke softly. "I think . . . that it would be best for Cheza . . . if she went with them . . . for now." He was careful to choose his words wisely
"What?!" Kiba glared at the child. Aibo cringed back at Kiba's stare.
"It's just that . . . those people will be coming after us again. And Darcia is the only one who can get Cheza away from here quickly. If we let Cheza go with him, it gives her the best chance of staying out of harm's way, that's all," Aibo tried to explain, but nothing was going to deter Kiba.
"I can't believe you're even saying that!"
"Kiba, it's just a matter of fact. You and the others can't protect her right now as well as Darcia can." Aibo's pleading wasn't having any effect on Kiba. He just grew more and more irate. Aibo finally gave up and dropped his head down shutting his eyes. Kiba turned around to face Cheza and proceeded to take her hand. He stopped when he heard Aibo's voice call out. This time, though, the child's voice was strange. His voice possessed a strange reverberence to it and it was impossible to tell if the voice was male or female.
"Kiba! Since you wouldn't listen to the boy, I'll have to take matters into my own hands." Kiba looked back at Aibo and turned to face the child. Aibo raised his face upwards, but his eyes were still shut. Then finally, the boy open them. Aibo's eyes had changed. They were now held same red coloring as Cheza's. Immediately, a bright crimson flash followed. Kiba dropped to his knees and fell forward, unconscious. The red-eyed child caught Kiba around his shoulders. "Cher, take Cheza with you now." The scientist did as she was told, although still somewhat startled by what was going on. Cher took Cheza by the hand and walked the flower maiden over to Darcia's airship. "You three, take Kiba. His weight is too much for this boy's body to support." Tsume scooped up Kiba being careful of the wound in the white wolf's shoulder.
"What the hell are you?" the gray wolf demanded while holding Kiba in his arms.
"This one is the second personification of the boy. I take over when Aibo's life is in danger or the situation is too much for his childlike mind to cope with." Then the young one marched over to Darcia and stared straight up at the noble. "The boy might be willing to forget your past crimes, but I am not so forgiving!" the expressionless voice declared with his red eyes glaring at Darcia. The noble didn't fear anyone, but this strange child in front of him stirred profound feelings of terror within the deepest recesses of the noble's heart. A red aura glowed from Aibo's eyes, "I would kill you right now, but the child forbids it. So, another recompense must be exacted. You shall be haunted by the same kind of terror that you have inflicted upon this child." Aibo returned to the wolves after this leaving Darcia to board his airship with both Cher and Cheza already aboard. The ship rose into the sky with a loud hum and took off leaving the dome and disappearing from sight in an instant. "We are leaving, too." With that, the group made their way to outer rim of the dome. They soon left the walls of the city and headed out into the snowy wasteland.
It didn't take too long for them to find a cave to sleep in for the night. They would wait for the still unconscious Kiba to recover. Kiba awoke a few hours later. Tsume had laid him on the ground near the back of the cave. The white wolf sat up slowly. He remember the wound in his shoulder and checked it. The wound was gone. Aibo must have healed it. Then Kiba remembered what Aibo had done. Aibo had made him give up Cheza to Darcia. Kiba was still furious about this. He wanted an explanation right now. The white wolf looked around the cave for the boy. The other three wolves were sitting in the middle of the cave. Tsume was against one wall while Toboe and Hige sat up against the other wall. Kiba spotted Aibo, all alone away from the others, huddled up near the cave's opening. The child hugged his knees into his chest and stared at the ground. Kiba slowly approached.
"You're mad at me," Aibo said without looking up to see who it was as Kiba stood next to him. "I . . . did something bad, didn't I? That's why none of you trust me any more, isn't it?"
"You know what you did. Now, why?!" Kiba pressed him for an answer.
"Where's . . . Cheza? Where is she?"
"What?! You know where she is."
"No, . . . I don't. I woke up here. She was gone and you were unconscious. Everyone looked at me strange. I did something bad, I know it," Aibo dropped his head onto his knees for a moment. Then looking back up he whispered, "If you all want me to leave . . . I will." Aibo looked up at Kiba with his sad blue eyes.
"Your eyes, they're back to normal," Kiba noted, his anger starting to abate.
"Normal?" Aibo questioned.
"They turned red like Cheza's just before you did something to me and I blacked out." Aibo's eyes widened.
"I guess you all must have met the other one," Aibo alluded.
"Other one, what are you talking about?"
"He says he's supposed to be my guardian, my protector. He doesn't have a name, though."
"Don't you remember what happened?"
"I remember arguing with you, and then I woke up here." Kiba let out a sigh. He couldn't be mad at the kid when it didn't seem to be his fault, but who was this 'other one' Aibo referred to?
"Has this kind of thing happened before?"
"Yeah, he takes over when I can't handle things any more."
"Why didn't you tell us about him before?"
"I knew you all would be scared . . . of me." Kiba sat next to child.
"Toboe's scarier than you." The wolf playfully pushed Aibo.
"Huh, how come?" Aibo seemed to be coming out of his gloomy state.
"Simple, just because of the pure fact that he's a wolf."
"Besides, wolves don't scare that easily. You should know that," Tsume added arms crossed as he leaned his back against the cave wall. The other three had been listening in.
"I guess we'll just have to figure out what to do with you, squirt. 'Cause you're stuck with us." Hige tried encouraging the boy.
"Anyway, Cheza is safe, right? That's the important thing. If we need to, we'll just find her again like the first time," Toboe happily chimed in.
"Thanks, everyone. It's just that . . . I'm afraid of the other one trying to hurt you all. He, already, was able put Kiba out cold. And I know he did something horrible to Darcia," Aibo explained.
"What did he do?" Kiba asked.
"I'm not exactly sure, but I could feel him . . . attacking Darcia's mind. It sounds weird, I know. But my guardian did something to Darcia's mind. I think as insurance, so that Darcia wouldn't be able to harm Cheza."
"That's not all of it. Your guardian also mentioned something about it being revenge. Have any idea what he was talking about?" Tsume offered.
"Well, I didn't want to tell you this, but Darcia has been the instrument of your death's in past cycles," Aibo's answer was met by shocked and suspicious glances. "But it's just that he's been forced into that role. I can't really explain all of it yet. However, it is really important that we get Darcia on our side."
"Why do we need some stinking noble?" Hige grumbled.
"Because it would be different from all the other cycles, and besides he was a friend before the cycles began," Aibo replied.
"Speaking of nobles, it looked like you recognized one of them back there," Kiba remembered.
"Lord . . . Dark," Aibo gulped. "He's the one responsible for starting the cycles. Dark was there when the cycles began, yet he has never appeared in any of them before now. He was sealed away during the original lifetime. I think that in the last cycle, the place where Cheza released her seeds to reset the cycle was the exact spot where Dark had been imprisoned. The reaction must have accidentally released his seal."
"Hey, how was that guy moving things around without touching them?" Toboe inquired.
"Dark is telekinetic, and he has a few other powers in store, as well."
"Huh?" came a unified response from everyone.
"It's the ability to move objects with mere thoughts."
Now that they were safe, the wolves and the boy took some time to relax. They were going to have a long journey ahead of them. There was some casual conversation as happens when people get bored from just sitting around.
"Hey guys, come here. Look at it, it's beautiful," Toboe called to the others from the cave's entrance. The young wolf was soon joined by his friends. Everyone looked up to where Toboe pointed. There, hanging in the clear night sky, was a bright full moon. Kiba, Tsume, and Aibo immediately knew what this meant. Toboe's granny was dead. "Hey, why do you three look so down?" Toboe noticed the melancholy expression on their faces.
"It's nothing. You're right, the moon does look nice," Tsume replied quickly. He had no intention of letting Toboe find out right now. The gray wolf decided to let the pup have his moment. Tsume would tell Toboe when the time was right. After a few moments more, the wolves retreated to the shelter of the deeper parts of the cave. There they all settled in for the night after returning to their wolf forms. Hige and Aibo slept on either side of Kiba while Toboe settled in next to Tsume.
Meanwhile back in the city, the present Cher left with Hubb suddenly sprang to life right before the detective's eyes. He had been moping around his apartment all day, after Cher had left. He had checked back at her apartment, but no one was there. He was still turning it over in his mind as to what Cher meant. What flower was he supposed to follow? Finally, frustrated and angry he yelled out, "Where did you go, Cher?!" That's when the device began to activate. It almost seemed to be responding to Hubb's question.
The rectangular machine began to make all sorts of humming and buzzing noises as its screen lit up. A blue light emanated from the screen. Hubb picked up the machine. Circular rings pulsed outward from the center of the screen continuously at regular intervals. An arrow appeared in conjunction with a directional ring along the outer rim of the screen. The directional ring consisted of north, east, south, and west indicators and a series of small lines between each indicator. The arrow moved along the ring finally coming to a stop. The whole thing reminded Hubb of a compass with one exception. This compass didn't point to north. He turned around and rotated the device a few times to make sure the direction was consistent. No matter how Hubb moved it, the compass arrow always pointed to the same direction. "So then, Cher. Is this supposed to lead me to you?" he wondered. "Well there's only one way to find out."
A few hours later, Hubb was on a train headed south in the direction the compass led him. His coworkers at the station were left in shock. It was so unlike him to do something on the spur of the moment. All Hubb told them was that Cher was missing and he was leaving to go look for her. They tried to convince him to stay a few days and see if she turned up, but Hubb's mind was set. If Cher wanted him to stop living in the past, then he was going to do it starting right now.
The train itself was nothing luxurious, but it wasn't decrepit either. Every seat was loaded with passengers. In fact, Hubb had a rather unusual neighbor. A man wearing a brown trench coat and hat, with a large dog possessing blueish-gray fur, sat in the seat next to the detective. It was going to be a long ride and Hubb was rather bored sitting next to the window, so he decided to try some small talk with the man next to him. At least he would have, but as luck would have it Hubb's allergies chose to act up right then and there. He pulled out a handkerchief, and after a few minutes, was able to bring his sneezing under control. The man next to Hubb laughed in a gruff voice, "So what's someone like you doing out here? You don't look like the type that likes to travel or, much less, can handle it outside the city."
"I'm looking for someone. What about you?"
"Hunting."
"Hunting?"
"Wolves."
"Wolves?" Hubb looked at the man suspiciously.
"Yeah, so what's it to you? You're starting to sound like a parrot."
"Sorry, by the way I'm Hubb Lebowsky," Hubb extended his hand.
"Quent Yaiden," Quent shook Hubb's hand once and let go. The hunter motioned to the dog on the floor next to him, "She's Blue."
"Hey, do you think that wolves would be looking for a flower?" Hubb inquired out of the blue. Quent raised a eyebrow.
"What makes you say that?" the hunter stared at Hubb.
"Nothing, it's just a crazy thought. My ex-wife left me this with a note that said to follow some flower," Hubb showed Quent the compass Cher had left behind.
"There's something similar to that in the Book of the Moon," Quent explained placing his hat in his lap and reclining into his seat, "but the real question is whether or not you believe it."
"What do you say to us working together for a while? If the wolves you're after are looking for this flower, then maybe . . ."
"You're worried about your woman, right?" Quent replied with a smug grin. "And you want to use me to deal with whatever danger she might be in."
"You don't have to put it like that," Hubb looked a little sheepish. "Coming with me might also help you find your wolves," he offered, wanting to entice the Hunter's cooperation.
"Hmph. I go where my dog's nose leads. But, if you're headed where I'm going . . . then I guess I can let you tag along," Quent relented. Hubb wasn't sure if he believed in wolves, but he did want help just in case Cher really was in trouble. Hubb didn't really know why he had decided to ask Quent for help. There was just something familiar about the old hunter that made the detective sure that Quent was not just blowing hot air about the existence of wolves. The old man dozed off and Hubb fell asleep soon after. It would be a few days before the train reached the next city. The terrain was dangerous to say the least and travel across it was treacherous at best. Trains had to watch their speed while braving to traverse the snow-covered landscape. Even though it took a good deal of time for trains in northern lands to go from one city to another, it was still faster than going on foot.
Back at the wolves' cave, Tsume found himself awake. The warmth that had been pressed against his right flank was gone, and he could feel the cold air brushing against his side. The gray wolf raised his head and strained his eyes and ears for any sign of Toboe. Tsume knew that Toboe had to have wondered off somewhere, and the older wolf merely wanted to make sure that he didn't need to go looking for the pup. Tsume finally noticed Toboe sitting, on all four paws, at the cave's opening. The rust colored wolf made a low whimper as he sat there alone while the wind ruffled his fur.
"What's your problem this time?" Tsume grumbled his paws making light taping noises as he crept close to Toboe.
"Granny . . . I'm worried about her being all alone."
"So then, you're gonna wimp out and turn back," Tsume sneered. Secretly, he was hoping this would motivate Toboe, strengthening his resolve. Toboe wanted to prove himself to Tsume, and Tsume was aware of this. The gray wolf was hoping to give the pup a much needed prod in the right direction.
"No, it's just that I have this feeling that something terrible has happened." The two wolves were startled by a sleepy yawn coming from behind.
"Hey guys, is something wrong?" It was Aibo. Apparently, he had woken up from hearing their conversation. The child sat down wearily between the two wolves pressing into their fur coats in order to stay warm in the frigid wind. One look at Toboe's face, even though he was in his wolf form, told Aibo all he needed to know. The child stroked Toboe's fur sympathetically, "You miss her." Toboe let a low wine escape as a reply.
Tsume shifted to his human form and reached inside his jacket. He pulled out an envelope showing it to Toboe. "She wrote this for you. She wanted me to wait until we were out of the city before I gave this to you. Aibo will you read it for him?" Tsume handed the letter to Aibo. He opened the envelope and, after a few moments of looking the letter over, made a discovery.
"I don't need to read it for you. Toboe, you should be able to read it for yourself. She didn't use human script. This letter is written in moon script. It's the same language written in the two books I keep with me." Aibo passed the letter to the rust colored wolf who had now changed to his human form. The child yawned again, "I going back to sleep. So tired . . ." With that, Aibo wandered back over to Kiba's side and cuddled up into the wolf's soft snowy fur.
"I wonder what it says?" Toboe thought out loud. His eyes moved over the strange markings on the paper and slowly their meaning became clear to the young wolf.
The letter read: "My dear Toboe. I'm going to be leaving on a little trip. I won't be coming back to the house. I can't rightly say that I know where I'll be going on this trip. I don't think that our paths will cross again, however, I want you to know that no matter where you go I will always be with you as long as you keep me in your heart. Toboe, I love you and you are the last of my family now. Take care of yourself and be good for your friends. I'll be waiting for you at the end of your journey, in Paradise."
"Toboe?" Tsume asked with a hint of concern. Toboe had become eerily still once he finished reading the letter. Tsume had peered over the pup's shoulder and read the letter. The leather clad young man leaned forward to get a better look at the young one's face. Toboe looked almost as though he were in shock. Tsume put a hand on Toboe's back as the pup folded up the letter and stuffed it away into one of his pockets.
"Tsume . . . I want to thank you," Toboe's voice sounded different. It sounded weak and somber, lacking his usual cheerfulness and enthusiasm.
"For what?" The two wolves turned to face one another.
"I saw what you did for Granny back at the house. The door was cracked open and I peaked inside. I just wanted to say thank you, that's all."
"Damn it. You were watching?!" Tsume removed his hand from Toboe's back and rested his forehead on it. He shook his head a few time and finally sighed. "Come on, you need to go back to sleep. We can't have you falling behind when we finally set out because you're tired," Tsume persuaded while standing to his feet.
"Why . . ." Toboe began.
"Huh?" Tsume looked back down at his companion.
"Why didn't Granny tell me. I-I only wanted to protect her. She . . . really was sick and . . ." Toboe's voice quivered as he spoke. "She died," Toboe was on the verge of tears. He hugged his knees into his chest and started to sniffle. Tsume rubbed the back of his head with his right hand. He was no good at these sort of things.
"You're pathetic," Tsume finally retorted. Toboe looked up at the one he admired with confusion, hurt, sorrow, and anger all in his eyes. "Yeah, you were smart enough to figure it out on your own from the letter. But now you're just gonna keel over and give up? That's why she didn't tell you!"
Why does he always have to be such a jerk? Toboe thought getting angrier. Tsume's words were not helping the pup feel any better.
"She wanted you to remember her as she was. If you just want to sit there moping, then suit yourself." Tsume stopped for a moment after getting no response. "So, do you think she was a liar?" He questioned Toboe.
"Never!" Toboe was really mad at Tsume now.
"Then why are you still looking like you're about to cry? She said she would be waiting for you in Paradise, right?" Tsume waited for the pup to respond. Toboe nodded and the anger in his eyes was starting to fade. "Then get you ass back to sleep. We don't need you slowing us down. The sooner we find Paradise, the sooner you get to see your old woman again, all right." Tsume, returning to his wolf form, stormed off back to the spot where he was sleeping earlier. The gray wolf couldn't see it, but Toboe's face broke a slight smile. A few moments later, Tsume could feel a familiar shape pressed into his right side. A small rust colored wolf rested next to him. Toboe's breathing was not normal, however. It was too quick, and then Tsume felt something wet against his fur. He raised his head off of his legs which were stretched out in front of himself and glanced over at the pup. The young wolf was crying, odd as it seemed.
"I just . . . she's gone and I miss her," Toboe explained. He didn't want to make Tsume mad. Toboe was expecting another harsh lecture from Tsume, but the gray wolf surprised the pup again. Toboe felt something soft and warm on the back of his neck as a muzzle pressed next to his right cheek. Tsume rested his neck on Toboe's embracing his friend as best as a wolf could. Toboe moved to his left and rested his head on Tsume's stretched out legs while nuzzling against the gray wolf's chest.
"It's all right, kid," Tsume comforted Toboe. Before either one knew it they had both fallen asleep.
By this time Orkham had returned to his palace. The noble retired to his private chambers to reflect on his remaining options now that Dark was seemingly dead. Orkham sat facing a window in a luxurious armchair next to the roaring fireplace on his left. The Dynasty would not be pleased to hear that he had let one of their own die in an operation that ended in failure. The lord did not have much time to consider his next course of action before being jolted from his thoughts by the last voice he expected to ever hear again.
"Well Orkham, I see that you are a truly a coward at heart." The large double doors to Orkham's private chambers exploded open, slamming against the walls, as lord Dark strolled through them. Orkham's head spun to his right and he leapt to his feet once he was sure that it was Dark who stood before him.
"You're . . . alive!" Orkham's voice was fearful and relieved at the same time.
"How little faith you possess," Dark shook his head. "You think I can be so easily killed by this?" Dark motioned to his right shoulder. It was a bloody mess. The clothing over his injured shoulder was burned off, and it was hard to tell the exact location of the wound. "It always takes a little while after being struck with that weapon," Dark explained. As he spoke the blood on his should evaporated into a black gas. Upon doing this, the gas then immediately absorbed itself into Dark's skin. Once it was all over with, the noble's shoulder had completely regenerated itself, clothing and all, until there were no traces of any injury having ever occurred. Orkham stood there in amazement and if he had not been wearing his mask anyone could have seen just how wide his eyes had become.
"Astounding . . ." Orkham gasped in disbelief.
"I should kill you right now, Orkham." Dark loomed closer to the frightened noble.
"B-b-b-but why?" Orkham whined pleading for his life.
"Your incompetence knows no bounds. You let those wolves, Darcia, and the flower maiden all escape without so much as an attempt to stop them. But the worst part is that you have not made any effort to track them. You could have ordered for the wolves and Darcia to be followed while you were running away to save yourself," Dark's voice was as cold and calm as ever as he continued to close the distance between himself and Orkham. "However, you have one saving grace. Your servants are not nearly as inept as their master. Using what data you had already extrapolated, our scientists were able to collaborate and complete the project earlier today. Now you will see first hand the fruits of our labor." Dark turned sideways and motioned to the door stretching out his left arm. There in the doorway stood a figure dressed in a black robe that draped onto the floor and fanned out around the person. The person's face was hidden by a shadow cast from the robe's hood. "Why don't you introduce yourself?" Dark asked the robed figure. The figure pulled back the hood and there stood a person identical to Cheza with only two exceptions. Her hair was much longer falling down to and resting around her shoulders, and the color of her hair and lips was black.
"This one, is called Shikyo," she replied staring at both nobles with the same pink and blood red eyes as the flower maiden. Shikyo took notice of a potted flower sitting on the windowsill in Orkham's chambers. She floated over to the small plant. "The wolves and their precious flower," Shikyo paused, tracing her fingers up the plant's healthy stem and along its beautiful petals. As she did this, immediately the flower's colors dulled and it started to wither. Shikyo pulled back her hand leaving behind the crumbling black shriveled remains of a once beautiful flower. Satisfied with the demonstration of her powers, Shikyo turned to face the nobles and continued, ". . . will all die."
Sorry to leave you all at a cliffhanger like that, but I write untill I feel the chapter is done and this is where it screamed at me to stop. Ha, ha. In case any of you are wondering, Shikyo is pronounced 'She-key-oh' just like the English words. It's Japanese for: death. More foreshadowing. Mwa ha ha ha. As for that mystery person who saved everyone, he won't appear until the either the next chapter or the one after that. It depends on how far I get with the next chapter. Just a friendly reminder, please submit a review to tell me if you liked it. If you have any suggestions or comments I welcome them, so long as they aren't flames okay ;-) If you have any question you can't address in the reviews my email is accessible on my profile page for those of you who are registered.
Episode 04: The Wolf, the Flower Maiden, and the Noble
It was still early afternoon as Aibo lead the wolves to the center of town heading in the direction of the large building that housed the lab where Cheza was waiting. The five of them were a rather odd looking group as the walked down the city sidewalks. Aibo, the shortest of all, was out in front with Toboe. The two of them were chattering away. Kiba and Hige kept pace with one another in the middle and Tsume trailed in the back. Apparently, he was the only one who thought this looked weird.
He stopped for a moment and took in the surroundings. Soon Tsume, along with the others, would be leaving this city behind. However, he couldn't help but think about how they were going to survive on the outside. Finally, Tsume decided to shake it off. It wasn't going to do him any good mulling over it now. Guess we'll just learn to deal with hunger or get good at hunting, he decided. Then something caught the gray wolf's eye. It was Gehl, and he was with that girl Toboe had shown himself to. The girl's father was standing near them talking to one of the street merchants. Gehl spotted Tsume and after a few words to the girl ran over to the gang leader.
"Uh, hi Tsume." Gehl's voice was awkward.
Tsume raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"I um, I'm leaving the gang." Gehl looked a little scared not sure of how his former leader would react.
"Good for you, kid," Tsume nodded being genuine, not sarcastic.
"You're . . . not mad?"
Tsume shrugged, "It's already broken up. There's no point in trying to get everyone back together again. Tell Seto for me if you see him."
"Why? Are you going somewhere?"
"Yeah, I'm leaving this city."
"All right. Well, I hope we meet again someday. Oh by the way, Leara, that girl over there. Her father decided to take me in. So, I guess I've got a family now."
"I happy for ya, kid. See you around." Tsume walked away following the others and waved a hand at Gehl without turning around.
"See you around, Tsume!" Gehl called out and then ran back over to Leara and her father.
"Who was that?" Kiba asked looking back at Tsume.
"Just someone I know," Tsume put it in a matter of fact way.
The sun had set by the time they reached the lab and the perimeter was swarming with guards. "Geeze, there's no way we're getting there. The security's too tight. We gotta think of something else," Hige pondered.
"I can get us in," Aibo chirped up.
"Yeah, how?" Hige wasn't going to believe it until he saw it.
"Come on, just walk right in and act natural."
"You have to be kidding me."
"Trust me. It'll work." It went against Hige's better judgment, but he finally chose to go along with it. Maybe the kid would surprise them again. The group strode right up to the front door. None of the guards paid any attention to them. The wolves eyed the guards warily not really understanding what was going on. Then as they reached the door one of the guards took notice of the group. Kiba was ready to pounce on the guy, but Aibo spoke up in a whisper.
"Don't move! Just look at him," Aibo instructed the wolves.
"Oh here, let me get that for you." The guard walked over and swiped a card through a notch next to a keypad and lights. One of the lights light up green and the latch on the door clicked open.
"Hey, thanks," Toboe blurted out.
"Ah, just doing my job," the guard replied holding the door open for the five of them. Once they were inside and away from any other people Tsume decided to press Aibo for an explanation.
"Okay, what's going on?"
"Remember how I said I can mimic your abilities? Well, instead of seeing your human forms they just saw a group of scientists. I can enhance and imitate your ability to conceal yourselves by creating a illusion over your human forms."
"This is getting annoying. Next time, tell us what you're going to do before you do it!"
"Do you want to stand here lecturing me or do you want to find the flower maiden?" That ended the discussion. They walked further on through one hallway after another. Kiba perked up because he could smell the scent of lunar flowers and it was quite strong. Soon the other wolves noticed it, too. Finally, Aibo came to a halt in front of a room just before where Cheza was kept. Kiba was almost in a sort of trance. He could feel the flower maiden's presence so very close now. Aibo had to grab the white wolf to snap him out of it because he almost walked into the next room.
"What are you doing? Let's go," Kiba insisted.
"It won't do any good to get caught now after having come this far," Aibo explained pointing to a woman standing in the next room. She was pacing back and forth nervously. Just behind the woman were the doors leading into the room where Cheza was sleeping. The woman pulled out a cell phone from her coat pocket and pressed a few buttons.
"Darcia, we've got a problem. There's a lot more security here than I anticipated. Something is up. I need you to get here as soon a possible." The woman was Cher. She continued speaking with the noble filling him in on the situation as he gave her instructions. Cher turned and faced the wall leaving her back to the room. Aibo had been watching her from the hallway and now he signaled for everyone to make a run for the doors. It wasn't much of a problem for four wolves to make a short run silently. Soon the five of them were through the doors without Cher even noticing their presence.
"Who was that?" Tsume thought aloud.
"Cher Degre. She helped create Cheza right here in this lab," Aibo explained. "Although last time, she merely studied Cheza, looking for a way to awaken her."
"How do you know all this?"
"I told you already; the events of past cycles repeat themselves in future ones, just not always in the same manner. I'm trying to break the cycle by having you four do things differently. Hopefully that will be enough." Kiba drifted over to tube where Cheza slept. He was completely entranced.
"Cheza," Kiba whispered placing his hand on the glass as he gazed up at the sleeping flower maiden. "Come on, we have to get her out of there!" Kiba demanded earnestly.
"Let's wake her up, first. Kiba, did you know that she can sense yours, Tsume's, Toboe's, and Hige's presence. Just look at her face." The wolves looked at Cheza and a smile started to appear on her face. She leaned forward against the supports that held her in the tube. There were gold rings around her wrists and neck with chains made of small golden balls. Two silver metal hooks around her underarms supported the majority of her weight. "Cheza is already responding to all of you. If we could just stimulate her a little more she'll wake up."
"How are we supposed to do that?" Tsume queried Aibo.
"Well, last time blood did the trick. Wolf's blood, though, it had to be wolf's blood."
"All right," Kiba replied, but his tone was weird. He sounded like he had just figured out what he needed to do. Kiba pulled back his right arm smashed his fist into the glass.
"What the hell are you doing?" Hige panicked. Immediately, cracks began to appear. Kiba clenched his teeth as he pressed his fist harder and harder into the glass. Finally, the tube shattered to pieces. Glass fell everywhere and the green liquid spilled all over the floor. Blood covered Kiba's hand and forearm. Gashes had been carved into him from the glass shards.
"Kiba!" Aibo cried in fright and worry as he watched blood drip from the wolf's hand.
"It had to be done," Kiba replied calm and focused as ever. "Besides, they're just scratches." He brushed it off like it was nothing. Aibo still looked worried about Kiba, but the child's eyes also held something else, another emotion. It was great admiration for the white wolf.
"Ahh," came a soft sound which caught all their attention. Everyone looked back at Cheza. Her mouth was open and slowly she made small gasps breathing in air for the first time. Her eyes were just slightly open, yet still everyone could see their pink and blood red color. Kiba jumped into the remains of the Cheza's tube and broke her chains before lifting her from the metal hooks. Tsume walked over took Cheza as Kiba lowered her, though, Kiba was reluctant to let go of her. Cheza laid face up on Tsume's arms as he held her. She was waking up, but slowly. Kiba jumped down from the tube and Aibo ran over to him.
"Here, let me see your hand," the child instructed.
"It's fine," Kiba stated.
"Just do it," Aibo insisted. The wolf held out his hand for Aibo to inspect. Aibo carefully turned Kiba's injured hand palm up and gently pressed it between his own hands. Kiba made a slight sound from pain, but nothing that betrayed his tough guy appearance. A pale green glow exuded from the child's hands. A few moments later the cuts on Kiba's hand and forearm were closed and all traces of them disappeared. There weren't even scars left.
"How . . ." Kiba started.
"I can accelerate your own natural ability to heal, and I can heal faster just by being around you guys," Aibo quickly explained.
Tsume gave half a chuckle, "That explains how you healed so quickly after I found you." Aibo nodded in confirmation.
"Who are you people, and what are you doing with Cheza?!!" Cher stood in the doorway glaring at all of them. She had heard the loud noises and came to investigate. However, the woman had no idea what she was confronting.
"We're leaving, Cher. And we are taking Cheza with us," Aibo stated firmly. Cher just blinked and went wide-eyed.
"Wha . . . How did you know my name? Never mind, give Cheza back now!" she demanded.
"No! She's coming with us!" Kiba shouted back staring at Cher angrily.
"Is that so?" came a deep calm voice. Darcia appeared next Cher and then advanced into the room. He was wearing a black feathered headdress and a white mask with a patch over the left eye. "Wolves?" the noble said as he glanced around at everyone. Fear crept over Cher's face.
"What? Where?"
Darcia laughed briefly before explaining, "I'm certain you know that they say wolves have been extinct for two hundred years, however, here they stand before you with the flower maiden. Now hand her over!" Darcia approached Tsume who was still holding Cheza. As the noble did so Kiba jumped between them. "Move wolf!" Darcia clenched his fists.
"What a minute. Darcia, you and Cher . . . are working together?" Aibo asked in confusion. However, he got Darcia's attention. Darcia stared straight at Aibo.
"What . . . are you?" the noble asked.
"This is really different than anything from before. You never teamed up with anyone else before."
"Boy, how do you know me?" Darcia was growing irritated at Aibo's seemingly absent absentmindedness as the child continued talking to himself.
"All right, let's call a truce for now, okay? And, sufficet to say, for right now we both just want to get Cheza out of this place, right?" Aibo proposed.
"Fine, this way," Darcia directed everyone. He didn't seem pleased, but this was only a temporary arrangement.
Darcia left the room leading everyone down an adjacent hall. There was a small door at the end. He opened it and motioned for everyone to follow. By now Kiba had taken Cheza from Tsume. Her eyes were halfway open and she was starting to look at her surroundings. The group travailed through a small passageway which put them outside, behind the lab and away from the guards. Darcia continued to lead the group through back ways and passages of the city until they came to large open area, surrounded by buildings, near the dome's exit. There sat Darcia's airship ready to take off. However, a large group of soldiers were surrounding the ship. Then another detachment of soldiers encircled the area trapping the wolves, Aibo, Darcia, Cher, and Cheza. Each and every soldier was armed with an automatic rifle type of gun.
"These soldiers don't belong to Orkham," Darcia noted.
"How perceptive of you, lord Darcia. You . . . weren't thinking of betraying our partnership by stealing the flower maiden now, were you?" a voice taunted them. It was Orkham, himself. He emerged from among the soldiers to confront the group. "Dr. Degre, I'm very disappointed with you. You were quite a promising scientist, however, there are plenty more where you came from." Orkham laughed to himself. He was going savor this moment and gloat for all he was worth. "There . . . are quite a few benefits to making friends with the nobles of the far east. In fact, these hybrid soldiers are just one such benefit."
"Hybrid soldiers? You mean they're genetically engineered?" Cher asked.
"Quite correct, Doctor. You are an astute woman," a cold voice came from behind Orkham. Another figure appeared and moved ahead of Orkham. "However, hybrid denotes that they were crossed with something else. Imagine the possibilities when you hybridize a human with a wolf. However, these are mere prototypes. The real masterpieces are much more," the figure paused for a moment, "interesting, I assure you."
"Who the hell are you?!" Kiba shouted.
"Ah, pardon me. I am called lord Dark, and this is my associate, the lord of this city and the surrounding regions, lord Orkham. Now then, are you all prepared to die? First though, I shall take the flower maiden."
Dark strolled forward, slowly approaching the group. Kiba, preparing for a fight, set Cheza on the ground. Although still in somewhat of a trance, she was awake enough to stand on her own. At that moment, Kiba caught sight of Aibo. The child looked like he was going to wet himself. His gaze was affixed to lord Dark. At this moment, Dark took notice of Aibo and a bout of menacing laughter followed.
"Ah, I see the boy is with you," Dark realized and continued laughing. "Well, now I can kill you at last," he said to Aibo. Kiba glared at Dark with a fierce rage burning in those blue spheres of his.
"What the hell makes you think that you'll get close enough before I rip out your throat," Kiba was surprised by his protective reaction.
"Who said I needed to get close?" Dark reached his left arm outward as if to grab something. A slender metal pole one inch thick, from one of the surrounding buildings, came flying into Dark's open hand. He grasped the pole firmly. The ends were broken and sharp making it look like a spear, and the pole itself was shorter that Dark's forearm. Dark stretched his arm out forward and released his grip on the pole letting it rest in his palm. Then the pole rose into the air and shot forward like a bullet. It was going straight for Aibo's head. Kiba shoved the kid out of the way and the pole pierced straight through his right shoulder. The pole went in and out of the wolf, burying itself into the pavement they stood upon. Blood began pouring out from the wound in Kiba's shoulder. "So then, you wish to prolong your torment? Very well, I am more that willing to oblige you."
Lord Dark started to move closer to Kiba and the others when out of nowhere the noble was stuck in his right shoulder and throw aside by a slender beam of golden yellow light. An explosion resulted when the beam collided with a building in its path. Many of the nearby soldiers were hit by the shock wave and killed instantly. The other soldiers were in a state of chaos and confusion without a leader. Orkham had conveniently disappeared, running away from the fight to save his own hide.
"Hey look, someone's up there on that building," Toboe pointed out to everyone else. The figure was wearing a large black trench coat that billowed freely in the slight breeze, but he was too well shadowed for any more of his features to be ascertained. Then he vanished. Darcia, however, took advantage of the confusion and dashed toward his airship with unbelievable speed. He easily tossed aside the soldiers that barred his path as though they were rag dolls. Darcia opened a small control panel on the outside of his ship and punched in a sequence of instructions. The ship responded instantly, the engines hummed as they powered up. Then red beams from the ship's weapons arced across the area killing the rest of the soldiers.
"Cher, come quickly! We have to go, now!" Darcia called out to her as he opened the ship's outer door and a ramp extended down from the door to the ground. Then Darcia directed his gaze at Kiba. "Wolf, I do not have the time to fight with you, but I will have the flower maiden. She is mine! I created her. Cheza is not vital to you," Darcia reasoned with the white wolf.
"No! Cheza is staying with us! She's more important to us than anything," Kiba countered.
"Kiba . . ." Aibo spoke softly. "I think . . . that it would be best for Cheza . . . if she went with them . . . for now." He was careful to choose his words wisely
"What?!" Kiba glared at the child. Aibo cringed back at Kiba's stare.
"It's just that . . . those people will be coming after us again. And Darcia is the only one who can get Cheza away from here quickly. If we let Cheza go with him, it gives her the best chance of staying out of harm's way, that's all," Aibo tried to explain, but nothing was going to deter Kiba.
"I can't believe you're even saying that!"
"Kiba, it's just a matter of fact. You and the others can't protect her right now as well as Darcia can." Aibo's pleading wasn't having any effect on Kiba. He just grew more and more irate. Aibo finally gave up and dropped his head down shutting his eyes. Kiba turned around to face Cheza and proceeded to take her hand. He stopped when he heard Aibo's voice call out. This time, though, the child's voice was strange. His voice possessed a strange reverberence to it and it was impossible to tell if the voice was male or female.
"Kiba! Since you wouldn't listen to the boy, I'll have to take matters into my own hands." Kiba looked back at Aibo and turned to face the child. Aibo raised his face upwards, but his eyes were still shut. Then finally, the boy open them. Aibo's eyes had changed. They were now held same red coloring as Cheza's. Immediately, a bright crimson flash followed. Kiba dropped to his knees and fell forward, unconscious. The red-eyed child caught Kiba around his shoulders. "Cher, take Cheza with you now." The scientist did as she was told, although still somewhat startled by what was going on. Cher took Cheza by the hand and walked the flower maiden over to Darcia's airship. "You three, take Kiba. His weight is too much for this boy's body to support." Tsume scooped up Kiba being careful of the wound in the white wolf's shoulder.
"What the hell are you?" the gray wolf demanded while holding Kiba in his arms.
"This one is the second personification of the boy. I take over when Aibo's life is in danger or the situation is too much for his childlike mind to cope with." Then the young one marched over to Darcia and stared straight up at the noble. "The boy might be willing to forget your past crimes, but I am not so forgiving!" the expressionless voice declared with his red eyes glaring at Darcia. The noble didn't fear anyone, but this strange child in front of him stirred profound feelings of terror within the deepest recesses of the noble's heart. A red aura glowed from Aibo's eyes, "I would kill you right now, but the child forbids it. So, another recompense must be exacted. You shall be haunted by the same kind of terror that you have inflicted upon this child." Aibo returned to the wolves after this leaving Darcia to board his airship with both Cher and Cheza already aboard. The ship rose into the sky with a loud hum and took off leaving the dome and disappearing from sight in an instant. "We are leaving, too." With that, the group made their way to outer rim of the dome. They soon left the walls of the city and headed out into the snowy wasteland.
It didn't take too long for them to find a cave to sleep in for the night. They would wait for the still unconscious Kiba to recover. Kiba awoke a few hours later. Tsume had laid him on the ground near the back of the cave. The white wolf sat up slowly. He remember the wound in his shoulder and checked it. The wound was gone. Aibo must have healed it. Then Kiba remembered what Aibo had done. Aibo had made him give up Cheza to Darcia. Kiba was still furious about this. He wanted an explanation right now. The white wolf looked around the cave for the boy. The other three wolves were sitting in the middle of the cave. Tsume was against one wall while Toboe and Hige sat up against the other wall. Kiba spotted Aibo, all alone away from the others, huddled up near the cave's opening. The child hugged his knees into his chest and stared at the ground. Kiba slowly approached.
"You're mad at me," Aibo said without looking up to see who it was as Kiba stood next to him. "I . . . did something bad, didn't I? That's why none of you trust me any more, isn't it?"
"You know what you did. Now, why?!" Kiba pressed him for an answer.
"Where's . . . Cheza? Where is she?"
"What?! You know where she is."
"No, . . . I don't. I woke up here. She was gone and you were unconscious. Everyone looked at me strange. I did something bad, I know it," Aibo dropped his head onto his knees for a moment. Then looking back up he whispered, "If you all want me to leave . . . I will." Aibo looked up at Kiba with his sad blue eyes.
"Your eyes, they're back to normal," Kiba noted, his anger starting to abate.
"Normal?" Aibo questioned.
"They turned red like Cheza's just before you did something to me and I blacked out." Aibo's eyes widened.
"I guess you all must have met the other one," Aibo alluded.
"Other one, what are you talking about?"
"He says he's supposed to be my guardian, my protector. He doesn't have a name, though."
"Don't you remember what happened?"
"I remember arguing with you, and then I woke up here." Kiba let out a sigh. He couldn't be mad at the kid when it didn't seem to be his fault, but who was this 'other one' Aibo referred to?
"Has this kind of thing happened before?"
"Yeah, he takes over when I can't handle things any more."
"Why didn't you tell us about him before?"
"I knew you all would be scared . . . of me." Kiba sat next to child.
"Toboe's scarier than you." The wolf playfully pushed Aibo.
"Huh, how come?" Aibo seemed to be coming out of his gloomy state.
"Simple, just because of the pure fact that he's a wolf."
"Besides, wolves don't scare that easily. You should know that," Tsume added arms crossed as he leaned his back against the cave wall. The other three had been listening in.
"I guess we'll just have to figure out what to do with you, squirt. 'Cause you're stuck with us." Hige tried encouraging the boy.
"Anyway, Cheza is safe, right? That's the important thing. If we need to, we'll just find her again like the first time," Toboe happily chimed in.
"Thanks, everyone. It's just that . . . I'm afraid of the other one trying to hurt you all. He, already, was able put Kiba out cold. And I know he did something horrible to Darcia," Aibo explained.
"What did he do?" Kiba asked.
"I'm not exactly sure, but I could feel him . . . attacking Darcia's mind. It sounds weird, I know. But my guardian did something to Darcia's mind. I think as insurance, so that Darcia wouldn't be able to harm Cheza."
"That's not all of it. Your guardian also mentioned something about it being revenge. Have any idea what he was talking about?" Tsume offered.
"Well, I didn't want to tell you this, but Darcia has been the instrument of your death's in past cycles," Aibo's answer was met by shocked and suspicious glances. "But it's just that he's been forced into that role. I can't really explain all of it yet. However, it is really important that we get Darcia on our side."
"Why do we need some stinking noble?" Hige grumbled.
"Because it would be different from all the other cycles, and besides he was a friend before the cycles began," Aibo replied.
"Speaking of nobles, it looked like you recognized one of them back there," Kiba remembered.
"Lord . . . Dark," Aibo gulped. "He's the one responsible for starting the cycles. Dark was there when the cycles began, yet he has never appeared in any of them before now. He was sealed away during the original lifetime. I think that in the last cycle, the place where Cheza released her seeds to reset the cycle was the exact spot where Dark had been imprisoned. The reaction must have accidentally released his seal."
"Hey, how was that guy moving things around without touching them?" Toboe inquired.
"Dark is telekinetic, and he has a few other powers in store, as well."
"Huh?" came a unified response from everyone.
"It's the ability to move objects with mere thoughts."
Now that they were safe, the wolves and the boy took some time to relax. They were going to have a long journey ahead of them. There was some casual conversation as happens when people get bored from just sitting around.
"Hey guys, come here. Look at it, it's beautiful," Toboe called to the others from the cave's entrance. The young wolf was soon joined by his friends. Everyone looked up to where Toboe pointed. There, hanging in the clear night sky, was a bright full moon. Kiba, Tsume, and Aibo immediately knew what this meant. Toboe's granny was dead. "Hey, why do you three look so down?" Toboe noticed the melancholy expression on their faces.
"It's nothing. You're right, the moon does look nice," Tsume replied quickly. He had no intention of letting Toboe find out right now. The gray wolf decided to let the pup have his moment. Tsume would tell Toboe when the time was right. After a few moments more, the wolves retreated to the shelter of the deeper parts of the cave. There they all settled in for the night after returning to their wolf forms. Hige and Aibo slept on either side of Kiba while Toboe settled in next to Tsume.
Meanwhile back in the city, the present Cher left with Hubb suddenly sprang to life right before the detective's eyes. He had been moping around his apartment all day, after Cher had left. He had checked back at her apartment, but no one was there. He was still turning it over in his mind as to what Cher meant. What flower was he supposed to follow? Finally, frustrated and angry he yelled out, "Where did you go, Cher?!" That's when the device began to activate. It almost seemed to be responding to Hubb's question.
The rectangular machine began to make all sorts of humming and buzzing noises as its screen lit up. A blue light emanated from the screen. Hubb picked up the machine. Circular rings pulsed outward from the center of the screen continuously at regular intervals. An arrow appeared in conjunction with a directional ring along the outer rim of the screen. The directional ring consisted of north, east, south, and west indicators and a series of small lines between each indicator. The arrow moved along the ring finally coming to a stop. The whole thing reminded Hubb of a compass with one exception. This compass didn't point to north. He turned around and rotated the device a few times to make sure the direction was consistent. No matter how Hubb moved it, the compass arrow always pointed to the same direction. "So then, Cher. Is this supposed to lead me to you?" he wondered. "Well there's only one way to find out."
A few hours later, Hubb was on a train headed south in the direction the compass led him. His coworkers at the station were left in shock. It was so unlike him to do something on the spur of the moment. All Hubb told them was that Cher was missing and he was leaving to go look for her. They tried to convince him to stay a few days and see if she turned up, but Hubb's mind was set. If Cher wanted him to stop living in the past, then he was going to do it starting right now.
The train itself was nothing luxurious, but it wasn't decrepit either. Every seat was loaded with passengers. In fact, Hubb had a rather unusual neighbor. A man wearing a brown trench coat and hat, with a large dog possessing blueish-gray fur, sat in the seat next to the detective. It was going to be a long ride and Hubb was rather bored sitting next to the window, so he decided to try some small talk with the man next to him. At least he would have, but as luck would have it Hubb's allergies chose to act up right then and there. He pulled out a handkerchief, and after a few minutes, was able to bring his sneezing under control. The man next to Hubb laughed in a gruff voice, "So what's someone like you doing out here? You don't look like the type that likes to travel or, much less, can handle it outside the city."
"I'm looking for someone. What about you?"
"Hunting."
"Hunting?"
"Wolves."
"Wolves?" Hubb looked at the man suspiciously.
"Yeah, so what's it to you? You're starting to sound like a parrot."
"Sorry, by the way I'm Hubb Lebowsky," Hubb extended his hand.
"Quent Yaiden," Quent shook Hubb's hand once and let go. The hunter motioned to the dog on the floor next to him, "She's Blue."
"Hey, do you think that wolves would be looking for a flower?" Hubb inquired out of the blue. Quent raised a eyebrow.
"What makes you say that?" the hunter stared at Hubb.
"Nothing, it's just a crazy thought. My ex-wife left me this with a note that said to follow some flower," Hubb showed Quent the compass Cher had left behind.
"There's something similar to that in the Book of the Moon," Quent explained placing his hat in his lap and reclining into his seat, "but the real question is whether or not you believe it."
"What do you say to us working together for a while? If the wolves you're after are looking for this flower, then maybe . . ."
"You're worried about your woman, right?" Quent replied with a smug grin. "And you want to use me to deal with whatever danger she might be in."
"You don't have to put it like that," Hubb looked a little sheepish. "Coming with me might also help you find your wolves," he offered, wanting to entice the Hunter's cooperation.
"Hmph. I go where my dog's nose leads. But, if you're headed where I'm going . . . then I guess I can let you tag along," Quent relented. Hubb wasn't sure if he believed in wolves, but he did want help just in case Cher really was in trouble. Hubb didn't really know why he had decided to ask Quent for help. There was just something familiar about the old hunter that made the detective sure that Quent was not just blowing hot air about the existence of wolves. The old man dozed off and Hubb fell asleep soon after. It would be a few days before the train reached the next city. The terrain was dangerous to say the least and travel across it was treacherous at best. Trains had to watch their speed while braving to traverse the snow-covered landscape. Even though it took a good deal of time for trains in northern lands to go from one city to another, it was still faster than going on foot.
Back at the wolves' cave, Tsume found himself awake. The warmth that had been pressed against his right flank was gone, and he could feel the cold air brushing against his side. The gray wolf raised his head and strained his eyes and ears for any sign of Toboe. Tsume knew that Toboe had to have wondered off somewhere, and the older wolf merely wanted to make sure that he didn't need to go looking for the pup. Tsume finally noticed Toboe sitting, on all four paws, at the cave's opening. The rust colored wolf made a low whimper as he sat there alone while the wind ruffled his fur.
"What's your problem this time?" Tsume grumbled his paws making light taping noises as he crept close to Toboe.
"Granny . . . I'm worried about her being all alone."
"So then, you're gonna wimp out and turn back," Tsume sneered. Secretly, he was hoping this would motivate Toboe, strengthening his resolve. Toboe wanted to prove himself to Tsume, and Tsume was aware of this. The gray wolf was hoping to give the pup a much needed prod in the right direction.
"No, it's just that I have this feeling that something terrible has happened." The two wolves were startled by a sleepy yawn coming from behind.
"Hey guys, is something wrong?" It was Aibo. Apparently, he had woken up from hearing their conversation. The child sat down wearily between the two wolves pressing into their fur coats in order to stay warm in the frigid wind. One look at Toboe's face, even though he was in his wolf form, told Aibo all he needed to know. The child stroked Toboe's fur sympathetically, "You miss her." Toboe let a low wine escape as a reply.
Tsume shifted to his human form and reached inside his jacket. He pulled out an envelope showing it to Toboe. "She wrote this for you. She wanted me to wait until we were out of the city before I gave this to you. Aibo will you read it for him?" Tsume handed the letter to Aibo. He opened the envelope and, after a few moments of looking the letter over, made a discovery.
"I don't need to read it for you. Toboe, you should be able to read it for yourself. She didn't use human script. This letter is written in moon script. It's the same language written in the two books I keep with me." Aibo passed the letter to the rust colored wolf who had now changed to his human form. The child yawned again, "I going back to sleep. So tired . . ." With that, Aibo wandered back over to Kiba's side and cuddled up into the wolf's soft snowy fur.
"I wonder what it says?" Toboe thought out loud. His eyes moved over the strange markings on the paper and slowly their meaning became clear to the young wolf.
The letter read: "My dear Toboe. I'm going to be leaving on a little trip. I won't be coming back to the house. I can't rightly say that I know where I'll be going on this trip. I don't think that our paths will cross again, however, I want you to know that no matter where you go I will always be with you as long as you keep me in your heart. Toboe, I love you and you are the last of my family now. Take care of yourself and be good for your friends. I'll be waiting for you at the end of your journey, in Paradise."
"Toboe?" Tsume asked with a hint of concern. Toboe had become eerily still once he finished reading the letter. Tsume had peered over the pup's shoulder and read the letter. The leather clad young man leaned forward to get a better look at the young one's face. Toboe looked almost as though he were in shock. Tsume put a hand on Toboe's back as the pup folded up the letter and stuffed it away into one of his pockets.
"Tsume . . . I want to thank you," Toboe's voice sounded different. It sounded weak and somber, lacking his usual cheerfulness and enthusiasm.
"For what?" The two wolves turned to face one another.
"I saw what you did for Granny back at the house. The door was cracked open and I peaked inside. I just wanted to say thank you, that's all."
"Damn it. You were watching?!" Tsume removed his hand from Toboe's back and rested his forehead on it. He shook his head a few time and finally sighed. "Come on, you need to go back to sleep. We can't have you falling behind when we finally set out because you're tired," Tsume persuaded while standing to his feet.
"Why . . ." Toboe began.
"Huh?" Tsume looked back down at his companion.
"Why didn't Granny tell me. I-I only wanted to protect her. She . . . really was sick and . . ." Toboe's voice quivered as he spoke. "She died," Toboe was on the verge of tears. He hugged his knees into his chest and started to sniffle. Tsume rubbed the back of his head with his right hand. He was no good at these sort of things.
"You're pathetic," Tsume finally retorted. Toboe looked up at the one he admired with confusion, hurt, sorrow, and anger all in his eyes. "Yeah, you were smart enough to figure it out on your own from the letter. But now you're just gonna keel over and give up? That's why she didn't tell you!"
Why does he always have to be such a jerk? Toboe thought getting angrier. Tsume's words were not helping the pup feel any better.
"She wanted you to remember her as she was. If you just want to sit there moping, then suit yourself." Tsume stopped for a moment after getting no response. "So, do you think she was a liar?" He questioned Toboe.
"Never!" Toboe was really mad at Tsume now.
"Then why are you still looking like you're about to cry? She said she would be waiting for you in Paradise, right?" Tsume waited for the pup to respond. Toboe nodded and the anger in his eyes was starting to fade. "Then get you ass back to sleep. We don't need you slowing us down. The sooner we find Paradise, the sooner you get to see your old woman again, all right." Tsume, returning to his wolf form, stormed off back to the spot where he was sleeping earlier. The gray wolf couldn't see it, but Toboe's face broke a slight smile. A few moments later, Tsume could feel a familiar shape pressed into his right side. A small rust colored wolf rested next to him. Toboe's breathing was not normal, however. It was too quick, and then Tsume felt something wet against his fur. He raised his head off of his legs which were stretched out in front of himself and glanced over at the pup. The young wolf was crying, odd as it seemed.
"I just . . . she's gone and I miss her," Toboe explained. He didn't want to make Tsume mad. Toboe was expecting another harsh lecture from Tsume, but the gray wolf surprised the pup again. Toboe felt something soft and warm on the back of his neck as a muzzle pressed next to his right cheek. Tsume rested his neck on Toboe's embracing his friend as best as a wolf could. Toboe moved to his left and rested his head on Tsume's stretched out legs while nuzzling against the gray wolf's chest.
"It's all right, kid," Tsume comforted Toboe. Before either one knew it they had both fallen asleep.
By this time Orkham had returned to his palace. The noble retired to his private chambers to reflect on his remaining options now that Dark was seemingly dead. Orkham sat facing a window in a luxurious armchair next to the roaring fireplace on his left. The Dynasty would not be pleased to hear that he had let one of their own die in an operation that ended in failure. The lord did not have much time to consider his next course of action before being jolted from his thoughts by the last voice he expected to ever hear again.
"Well Orkham, I see that you are a truly a coward at heart." The large double doors to Orkham's private chambers exploded open, slamming against the walls, as lord Dark strolled through them. Orkham's head spun to his right and he leapt to his feet once he was sure that it was Dark who stood before him.
"You're . . . alive!" Orkham's voice was fearful and relieved at the same time.
"How little faith you possess," Dark shook his head. "You think I can be so easily killed by this?" Dark motioned to his right shoulder. It was a bloody mess. The clothing over his injured shoulder was burned off, and it was hard to tell the exact location of the wound. "It always takes a little while after being struck with that weapon," Dark explained. As he spoke the blood on his should evaporated into a black gas. Upon doing this, the gas then immediately absorbed itself into Dark's skin. Once it was all over with, the noble's shoulder had completely regenerated itself, clothing and all, until there were no traces of any injury having ever occurred. Orkham stood there in amazement and if he had not been wearing his mask anyone could have seen just how wide his eyes had become.
"Astounding . . ." Orkham gasped in disbelief.
"I should kill you right now, Orkham." Dark loomed closer to the frightened noble.
"B-b-b-but why?" Orkham whined pleading for his life.
"Your incompetence knows no bounds. You let those wolves, Darcia, and the flower maiden all escape without so much as an attempt to stop them. But the worst part is that you have not made any effort to track them. You could have ordered for the wolves and Darcia to be followed while you were running away to save yourself," Dark's voice was as cold and calm as ever as he continued to close the distance between himself and Orkham. "However, you have one saving grace. Your servants are not nearly as inept as their master. Using what data you had already extrapolated, our scientists were able to collaborate and complete the project earlier today. Now you will see first hand the fruits of our labor." Dark turned sideways and motioned to the door stretching out his left arm. There in the doorway stood a figure dressed in a black robe that draped onto the floor and fanned out around the person. The person's face was hidden by a shadow cast from the robe's hood. "Why don't you introduce yourself?" Dark asked the robed figure. The figure pulled back the hood and there stood a person identical to Cheza with only two exceptions. Her hair was much longer falling down to and resting around her shoulders, and the color of her hair and lips was black.
"This one, is called Shikyo," she replied staring at both nobles with the same pink and blood red eyes as the flower maiden. Shikyo took notice of a potted flower sitting on the windowsill in Orkham's chambers. She floated over to the small plant. "The wolves and their precious flower," Shikyo paused, tracing her fingers up the plant's healthy stem and along its beautiful petals. As she did this, immediately the flower's colors dulled and it started to wither. Shikyo pulled back her hand leaving behind the crumbling black shriveled remains of a once beautiful flower. Satisfied with the demonstration of her powers, Shikyo turned to face the nobles and continued, ". . . will all die."
Sorry to leave you all at a cliffhanger like that, but I write untill I feel the chapter is done and this is where it screamed at me to stop. Ha, ha. In case any of you are wondering, Shikyo is pronounced 'She-key-oh' just like the English words. It's Japanese for: death. More foreshadowing. Mwa ha ha ha. As for that mystery person who saved everyone, he won't appear until the either the next chapter or the one after that. It depends on how far I get with the next chapter. Just a friendly reminder, please submit a review to tell me if you liked it. If you have any suggestions or comments I welcome them, so long as they aren't flames okay ;-) If you have any question you can't address in the reviews my email is accessible on my profile page for those of you who are registered.