Thank you to Mizuna Kurenagi and Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967 for review last chapter
Chapter XXVIII: Reunions
He was magnificent
The beast foretold by the book of the moon was a large creature, larger than any of Jagura's homebrewed beast by far. A wolf you couldn't deny was such just by how feral he appeared.
And he came just as it was foretold
But...for who?
Jagura couldn't help the smirk that came to her face as she watched the feed from her security cameras. She'd just finished watching #33 carrying out her last duty before being taken care of herself. Now, with the unnecessary distractions out of the way, Jagura could focus on the main event: The white wolf and his quest to get back what was taken from him.
"I wonder" the Noble mused to herself "How far can you go to save your precious maidens?...and who will you save first?" Jagura would watch and see
Separated from his grey companion, the white wolf wasted no time pushing forward. It wasn't like he had much choice in any way as it was and Jagura made sure Cheza's scent drenched the hall giving the wolf more motivation to keep moving
He wandered from hall to hall, following the trail Jagura had so carefully laid out for him until he found himself stepping into Jagura's trap.
Some of Jagura's finest men were hand selected for the job of testing this king among beast given the latest and wolf hunting armor and equipment and with their sheer numbers against this lone wolf the results were all but assured to fall in their favor.
To the beats credit he neither seemed worried nor intimidated by the sheer mass of opponents presented to him but that should be expected of the fabled chosen wolf of legend. Sitting straighter on her chair, Jagura watched with childish glee as the White wolf bared his teeth at his enemy and dauntlessly charged forward with a howl unlike any the Noblewoman had heard in all her life.
Jagura's men fought just as they had been trained to when dealing with wolves, their movements fluid and elegant in their movements as they should be after their years of wiping wolves off the face of this planet.
First were the defensive offence.
Shields equipped with sonic pulse devices that could render even the sturdiest of men unbalanced and dizzy. It didn't just attack the body outwardly but internally, messing with the fluid of the inner ear and knocking off its targets balance. It was usually used as a first offence against larger packs that attacked as a unit, leaving them vulnerable and open for counter attacks. This target, however, proved harder to capture with this tactic. He was fast and it was clear within moments of the fight beginning that this wolf was familiar with Jagura's advanced wolf hunting weapons. He was a white streak on the screen, zipping past countless men until one was brave enough to raise his sword to the beast.
The white would countered, nibley dodging the sword swipe and gracefully adjusting his weight between his feet to launch himself at his attack in a seamless fluid motion for bring fangs to neck and clamp down as the soldier dropped to the floor. The rest of Jagura's men reacted in kind trying to take advantage of the white wolf's moment of pause to use their sheer numbers to over power him but the white wolf was smarter, faster, fiercer with his one goal than Jagura men were collectively as a unit.
They flung their weapons at the white beast but not a single one could catch him, not a single blade could cut into the beast body, not a single man in that room could pain the white wolf red with its own blood.
When brute force proved to do nothing against the beats speed, Jagura hummed with interest as her men seemed to back off the creature before locking their shield together trapping their target in a circle they had created. Together they let off sonic waves from their shields so great that it actually sent the white wolf flying through the air.
The video feed Jagura watched had no sound but she could practically imagine the thud that echoed the room when the wolf's body landed, limp, lifeless and unmoving.
"..." Jagura held her breath, her eyes fixed on the image of the still beast.
Was this it? Was that all that Paradise had to offer in the form of its legendary chosen?
How underwhelming…
How...Pathetic…
"At least your blood wasn't wasted" Jagura tried to stay optimistic about the lack of show "I wouldn't want to lose a single drop that could be better served in opening my Paradise" she hummed to herself. She was about to turn away from the feed, ready to continue with her plans for both the maidens and the white wolf as well as an important guest who had yet to arrive, when sudden movement still her actions.
He was a streak of white, that magnificent wild beast of a wolf, just as one of Jagura's men was ready to deal a final blow the white wolf was back on his feet his body off the ground before anyone had a chance to realize he hadn't been knocked unconscious, his teeth clamped down on his victim's neck.
This time when his foe fell the floor under the human was bathed in red. Now the threat was serious and the men left understood that this wolf- the wild beast- was not to be taken lightly.
They moved on to a more lethal weapon in their arsenal.
Their blades weren't just made for slicing and melee fighting. Much like their shields, the swords that Jagura's men used were equipped with the latest laser offenses that a Noble could buy. Each sword had a laser with the strength of an offensive laser used on small airships when fired at max power and three or so of Jagura's men had deemed now a perfect time to test this facts authenticity.
The feed was blinded by the flash of the shot and the Keep itself shook with each connecting blast. Still the wolf fought just as fiercely as he had when he first entered the room.
The fight that followed was a bloodbath to put any battle field to shame and finally, with a sudden spike of glee Jagura had not felt in a very long time, the white wolf bleed.
But how many men had to bleed first before a single slice was made on that beast body? Jagura honestly hadn't bothered to count and as the fight wined down to a chilling silence she found it would have been pointless too.
At the battles end one victory stood though barely and it was that white wolf.
He was magnificent
It had all been true all along. This was it, this was it! The beast chosen to open Paradise was here and after being tested to his very limit he was proving to be more than worth of his title. The realization left Jagura trembling her once coy smirk had split into a cheshire smile that dominated her face until she almost felt like laughing out loud.
Covered in cuts and blood, leaving a trail of blood behind him and limping as he walked the wolf pushed on closer and closer to his beloved Flower Maiden.
But then just as he reached the spiral stairs leading to Cheza… the wolf... stopped?
"Oooh" Jagura mused aloud, forcing herself to settle down as she watched the white wolf utterly stop in his walking. His body had become rigid and his tail and ears pointed upward as he sniffed the air in curiosity. "Do you smell it, wolf?" the Noble giggled watching him deviate from the path that lead to Cheza. Down a separate hall he went, his own forced slow movement becoming faster, rushed as if he were desperate to reach whatever scent had caught his attention bringing him to the room at the end of the hall quickly before he rammed the large doors open with his body.
And there she was, his prize for following the scent.
When the slender she-wolf that had been found along side #23 had awoken to her the maiden within her Jagura had made sure to place her away from Cheza. She had read the old reports of the house of Darcia after all so Jagura was well aware of the two maidens and their connection to one another.
The she-wolf had someone been born with the essense of one of Darcia the first forged hanabito and so made her a perfect test subject for being fused with Cheza's DNA. Years of testing, however, had changed the creature until she became half maiden and half wolf, until she and Cheza were so alike- so intertwined- it was impossible to safely declare who was the true Flower maiden any more.
But sure the chosen wolf would know.
So, Jagura kept the maidens separate curious to see who the white wolf would go after first.
This was his chose.
Jagura watched fascinated as a human stood in place of the beast when the doors swung open. A handsome young man covered in blood and cuts looked about the room wildly for the source of the scent he had been following when his gaze found her.
His prized maiden lay submerged in water much like the flower maiden, it was a mix of chemicals House Darcia used to stabilize their hanabito so they didn't wither and die and-based on the report- it was often used to stabilize this maidens constantly changing body.
"Does this room have audio?" Jagura questioned her nearest servant when she noticed the youngman on the video feed was talking aloud.
"One moment, my Lady" her servent replied and a moment later the video let out a nasty crackle before Jagura was given a voice to match the human illusion that she saw, he spoke a name.
"Mahina" he called the name, pulling a hum from Jagura. So the maiden had a name after all, a fascinating revelation no matter how pointless. The white wolf sprinted forward with new found energy, as if battle just moments ago had never happened, calling his precious maidens name as he hoisted himself over the tanks side and dropped into the water with a echoing splash. "Mahina!" he called the maidens name as he sloshed through the water towards her floating form.
He straddle her unmoving form muttering what Jagura was certain were the words "Please no" before diving under the water to retrieve and pull the maiden's face to the surface. The maiden didn't react, Jagura didn't even hear the maiden gasp for air when her face broke the water's surface but the white wolf didn't seem to care. He handled her so gently, so...lovingly...were these beast even capable of understanding feelings like love?
"Mahina…" he repeated the name cradling the maidens face "please" and as if his pleading had reached the maiden, where ever it was her constantly shifting consciousness had gone since fainting in Jagura office, the creature known as Mahina answered. Her eyes opened and though she seemed to not be fully aware of her surrounding upon waking she did seem to take comfort in the white wolf's presence. Jagura couldn't help but feel her giddiness returning to her as the white wolf muttered the maidens name once more and the maiden in return spoke a name back.
"Kiba"
"It is time," Jagura giggled pushing herself out of her seat, she had seen enough of the wolf, he was exactly what she had been waiting for "come to me wolf that was chosen by the maidens" the woman declared aloud as she breezed out of the room.
Kiba was here.
Just uttering his name brought life to Mahina's body and mind. She became more aware of her surroundings now.
They were in a dark dank lab in a shallow tank. Kiba loomed over Mahina, the water in the tank reaching his thighs as he straddle her form and carefully held Mahina's head up out of the water.
That's right…. Mahina remembered now, where she was and why she was here, the events that lead her to this dark place.
Mahina was in Jagura's keep, she had been taken by Jagura's men after they had ambushed her and Hige. Oh no, what happen to Hige?! They had carried her off and brought her straight to Jagura and…
And Jagura had killed…
Jagura had killed and consumed Kileonna!
It was all coming back to Mahina in sudden waves that rocked her body in gasp and spasms. Her back arched and she threw her head back nearly pulling herself out of Kiba's grip and falling back into the water as she clenched fistfulls of the white gowned she had been dressed in. the spasms were violent and grew more so as all the memories of Mahina's dreams piled themselves on top of the trauma that the she-wolf had experience since entering the keep.
But Kiba remained where he was, his brow furrowed in worry he didn't bother to hide like he normally would.
Quickly adjusting his grip on Mahina's head so he didn't drop her, Kiba's thumb brushed soothingly against Mahina's wet cheeks. Kiba cooed and shushed Mahina even as she let out a cry of revolt and went from gripping her dress to trying to push him away, allowing Mahina to work through her sudden fit while supporting her as it hit.
When it passed Mahina was left gasping. Her back was still arched and her eyes wide though she stared at nothing as her mind and body struggled to to find harmony. Her senses were spiraling unsure if they wanted to feel one thing at a time or everything at once but after a moment it seemed to find a center of focus.
The fabric Mahina gripped so tightly in her hands, still gasping for gasp Mahina zero'd in on the feeling of it before shaking palms pressed against the body that wore the shirt and Mahina was aware of the male that cooed to her as she calmed down.
This scent… this smell of snow and pine. This scent that had haunted her memories before she ever properly knew the own.
It was him
It was Kiba.
Mahina's hands immediately shot up to grip Kiba's where he was so tenderly holding them against her face. She could feel her fur prickling over with excitement, Kiba was here! He had found her! He'd pulled her from such an awful sleep.
"Kiba!" Mahina found strength to sit up and take Kiba out as she tackled him. With a loud splash, her arms wrapped around his being and she practically clung to him.
Kiba caught her before falling backwards into the water, he let out a light grunt of pain but Mahina felt his arms find their way around her slender body and before long Kiba was pulling her against his body as close as he could get her.
"What are you doing here?" His voice was strained and doubtful as if Mahina would vanish from his tight grip on her "You're supposed to be with Hige and Toboe. You're supposed to be safe."
"Jagura's men ambushed us, we were separated." but Mahina didn't want to think about that right now. Her fingers bundled up two fists full of Kiba's jacket and she nuzzled his neck breathing in as much of his scent as she could take in. Breaking his usual stoicisms in the wake of his own worried Kiba responded, his grip on Mahina growing tighter as he seemed to try his best to utterly surround Mahina with his being, nuzzling against her as much as she did him.
Kiba was here.
It felt like Mahina hadn't seen him in years, had been deprived the feeling of his touch and most of all his scent for a lifetime. But that long deprivement was over. Kiba had come and woke her from the dream. It was a nightmare, this world she had been woken to but Mahina would embrace it.
"I thought I was going crazy when I caught your scent." Kiba spoke after the two had settled though not once did he let the she-wolf out of his hold "I thought that maybe it was just the Nobles trick but my instincts told me…" Mahina's chuckle stopped Kiba's further explanations and she felt a rare smile from against her skin.
Of course, Kiba and his instincts.
"... we have to hurry" As reluctant as she was to pull away, Mahina did locking her crimson eyes with Kiba's azure. Kiba looked horrid, like he had gone through leagues of armies just to get here. His clothes were torn and rips all to hell and the water around him was tinted red by his blood. His eyes though, those burning blue embers were enough of a sign that he was ready to keep going. "Cheza is here."
"Can you feel her?" The white male questioned and Mahina nodded.
That was all that needed to be said on the matter. Untangling himself from Mahina, Kiba got to his feet and hoisted himself up onto the edges of the tank before turning back around to pull Mahina up with him.
Before long the pair were making their way out of the room.
As Kiba busied himself carefully carrying Mahina, for the moment she tried to stand on her own two feet her legs gave out on her, Mahina let her mind wander to the dream she had been dropped into.
Were those… memories
Mahina remembered the fire and the attack, she remember the familiar feeling of the name Miakoda.
Those people and the things she experience in her dream were… her life.
The holes in Mahina's memory were starting to fill in again.
But one memory was lingering at the very moment. It was such an old memory from before her life had been thrown into such chaos.
A memory of a merging of two packs
Of a little white pup with a burning fire in his eyes
Of an elders story about a place called paradise.
"...Kiba?" Mahina spoke the males name softly and in response Kiba shifted his gaze to look at her as he walked. That fire stilled burned...even after all this time and all they had gone through. Mahina sighed shaking her head before nuzzling Kiba's neck "...Nevermind."
As it turned out Jagura had completely separated Mahina from Cheza.
Kiba had been following Cheza's scent this whole time but then a stronger one overshadowed Cheza's.
After Kiba took down a room of Jagura's men to find the source of Cheza's scent he was distracted by one knew it immediately as Mahina so he followed it to confirm it wasn't a trick. That's when he finally found her, looking for all purposes, like she had been drowned in the shallow water she woke in.
Mahina relayed what she could remember of how she ended up here.
Of following Hige to an elevator that took them into the inner city. How Hige suddenly started acting weird.
Toboe's safety was unknown
Hige's where about were unknown
But Kileona…
"She killed him, and then she forced me to watch her drink his blood like it was wine…" Kiba's grip on Mahina tightened in his own silent attempt to comfort her and she shivered in response holding a fistfull of Kiba's shirt in a vice grip "she cut him up for a meal...Kiba" Kiba said nothing but he did stop walking and stared at Mahina.
Azure meet crimson and if Kiba could see the wrath Mahina felt burning within her he didn't comment or react to it.
"I want her head… I want to rip out her throat for what she's doing." Mahina snarled her body shaking from her anger.
"First, we have to find Cheza and the others." Kiba calmed Mahina's hostility with an even tone
"... right"
Just then Kiba grunted, Mahina yelped as the male dropped to his knees nearly dropping Mahina in the process.
"K-Kiba…" she yelped out wrapping her arms around the males neck just to keep from rolling out of his loosened grip on her. That's when Mahina really noticed how much Kiba was bleeding. His jacket was cut and torn in multiple places. Mahina's eyes went wide as she took in the cuts and blood on his face. "you're hurt…"
"This is nothing...I'll be fine." and yet he still grunted in pain when he tried to stand.
"You're too reckless… What will happen if you died?" Mahina hurried out of his grip and kneeled before him but Kiba, ever the stubborn fool, shook his head.
"I can't die, not yet" he grunted out even as Mahina tried to stop him, Kiba shook his head once more and staggered back to his feet. Mahina sighed, knowing there was no way of stopping him now that he was up again she settled for throwing one of Kiba's arms over her shoulder to helping him stand. "We're so close Mahina… I can't stop now…" the male spoke firmly and with the arm he had around Mahina, Kiba pulled The she-wolf close until their foreheads touched "I promise we'll see it, together"
Mahina could do nothing but sigh
Same old Kiba
Somethings will just never change…
The hall became too drenched in the smell of Kiba's blood and the blood of the men he killed for Kiba to lead them to Cheza so Magina ended up leading the way. They stumbled their way up a long spiral staircase before Mahina, holding Kiba's hand firmly the whole way, lead them the rest of the way.
She threw the doors open nearly falling over when she lost her balance.
There Cheza was bound and submerged like she always was in the care of these beastly Nobles
"Cheza" Mahina ran forward with Kiba close behind her. She wasted no time reaching up and pressing her hands to the glass. "You're here…"
Silence
Cheza wouldn't answer
But… Mahina could feel Cheza...she was there, her presence was there but… she wasn't responding. She wasn't even reacting to Mahina being so close
"Are you alright?" Kiba spoke up limping his way forward until he stood beside Mahina "...at last...we finally found you"
But even Kiba's voice pulled nothing from Cheza.
She was… unresponsive
"Why won't you answer…" Mahina snapped out when silence was all she was met with "Cheza...please"
"The white wolf…"
This new voice made the pair look back. Standing in the doorway, casting an ominous shadow into the room, was none other than the Noble herself
Lady Jagura.
She was the one who attacked Darcia's keep and stole Cheza from them just as they were about to get her back. As Mahina slowly turned completely to face the woman the she-wolf couldn't help but recall all those memories that had been filtering into her since she entered this horrid keep.
All those fires, the countless wolves who died that night.
Jagura, that was the name constantly dropped when any mention of wolves being attacked came up.
She was the one who hunted Mahina's original pack into extinction
She took Killeona and she… she…
Mahina could feel her fur pricking at the very sight of this woman. But Jagura's attention wasn't on Mahina or the glare she sent her. Instead she appeared to be talking to Kiba.
"You are the one, chosen by the maidens...how beautiful you are" the vile woman almost seemed to giggle out gleefully.
What did Kiba have to say in response to this?
Nothing, in words at least
He snarled at the noble baring his teeth and Mahina was quick to follow It looked like Mahina would be getting this woman's head first after all. The pair waste no time charging Jagura all growls and teeth snapping but when they got close enough to leap at her a circle glows from the ground and-
Mahian grunted, stopping dead in her track with shock
She couldn't...move… what sort of Noble trick was this?!
Not only was this circle locking her and Kiba in place it suddenly felt like a weight was dropped on them and in union Mahina and Kiba were forced to the ground despite their best efforts to get back up. Jagura walked right past them like they weren't even there.
"Come," the Noble's voice rose in volume as she addressed Cheza "open your eyes. Open them for my paradise"
It was faint at first, Mahina for a moment though she had imagined it but then it came again
A faint echo of a whisper across the room
Cheza's voice...beckoning
abiK
Kiba
Mahina felt it thumb in her very being, the sound of Cheza's voice in her head and in its wake something in her...shifted. She couldn't put words to it but something suddenly felt different, not normal… it only took a second of her staring ahead of herself to realize she wasn't staring had her paw clawing at the ground trying to break free of this spell but a pale, furless hand.
"Kiba…" Mahina's voice came out softly and full of bewilderment as Mahina quickly realized she'd somehow been forced into her human shift. Kiba stopped growling when Mahina calls to him and he too looked surprised by Mahina's current condition. She could see it in the way his ear lift from being flatten against his skull and his aggressive features falter.
Jagura's laughter floated into Mahina's ears, managed to turn her head enough to see that the Noble was now looking at her.
"My prayers have been answered!" Jagura reviled loudly before turning back to Cheza "Cheza, we must feast in celebration don't you think?"
And Cheza reacted. Strongly.
Strongly enough to crack the glass of her spheric prison letting water quickly pour out of the structure and across the room but Jagura doesn't care. All she cared about was that she was getting exactly what she wanted.
And in the wake of this news Jagura laughed and she smiled.
Still struggling against the spell and confused of what was happening to her, Mahina laid powerless once more.
The nobles were winning and she could do nothing to stop them.