A/N: Chapter 10 of Ginga Densetsu Alayus. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own.

A special thanks to the reviewers, I truly appreciate it.

Chapter 10: Dirty Tricks!

Rundown Shelter...

The air was filled with wails and whimpering as the leader of Ohu attacked Hougen's army of reckless youngsters, youngsters pestered or threatened by the ruthless wannabe leader into submission. Left and right, wounded dogs ended up sprawled on the snow which turned red with their blood.

"Hougen! Come here and fight me!" John's voice rang out as the German Shepherd thrust his way over the bodies of the fallen dogs. The Great Dane gave him a very bored look before turning away in a huff.

"Didn't I just fight you not long ago and you failed miserably? I don't feel like it."

"You coward!" John snarled before disappearing underneath more bodies. Gin and Akame were trying their best to throw off their attackers, going tooth and nail against the odds.

"This isn't looking good...John! Akame!" Gin bounded back up onto the rooftop of the rundown shelter. Hearing their leader's call, Akame and John broke away from the enemies and leaped up to join Gin. This shift in the fight did not go unnoticed by Hougen, for he screamed at his troops to continue attacking without mercy.

"Akame, I need you to go and find Weed immediately!" Gin ordered calmly. "John and I will open an escape route for you."

"Forgive me if I'm out of line but I can't do that. Gin, you are my leader and my loyal friend. I don't want to leave you and John here."

"Please Akame." Gin looked at the dog. "John and I will be fine."

"That's right Akame!" John backed up his leader while he snarled in aggression at the approaching dogs. "There's no way I will die to these dirty mutts."

"All right then. Gin, John, I wish you two the best of luck." Giving his two friends one last look, Akame leaped off the top and took to the trees, jumping nimbly from branch to branch.

"One of them is trying to escape! Catch him!" Hougen spotted the fleeting dog and some of his minions took off running after Akame, only to come up short. Akame was considered one fast dogs in Ohu. Displeased with the report, Hougen turned his attention to the two other leaders, his eyes narrowed with a small glint. Seeing that his troops were being slaughtered left and right, he called Rocket over.

"Go and fetch that bitch. This battle needs to end quickly before my useless troops are killed." Nodding his head, Rocket took off, little tuffs of snow kicked up behind him. Snorting with impatience, Hougen turned to watch the battle from the sidelines, his eyes sweeping over the vast sea of battling dogs. John just raked his claws over a dog's muzzle and snarled to keep the others at bay. Gin flipped his opponent over before ducking as a dog sailed over head. Both leader's betrayed no emotion as they continued to cut Hougen's forces, their minds focused on victory or if possible, a quick escape.

Somewhere else (possibly Futago Pass, Ohu)...

There's something tugging on my mind...something awful happening. Alayus thought to herself as she waited on guard duty. Ever since they reached the mountains, she sensed a foul smell in the air. The rest of the army tucked their paws underneath their chest to keep warm against the snow cold ground, muddling among themselves. Some of the dogs played in mock fights, others went on hunts. Majority of the dogs decided to catch a quick nap so that they were well rested. As Alayus stared at the mountains in solitude silence, the sound of paws treading across the snow reached her ears and she turned to greet her guest.

"Here. You need your strength for the long journey ahead." Jerome spoke calmly as he laid what looks like a Tundra Swan near her feet. The poor thing wasn't that plump but it was better than nothing and Alayus was grateful for the gift.

"Did you eat already?" She asked him and he shook his head no. Smiling, she pushed the bird back to him and he gave her a confused look.

"We can share it together." She looked a bit hopeful but the German Shepherd declined politely, though his eyes were saying something different.

"I appreciate it but I can go hunt again." Dipping his head in courtesy, he excused himself and disappeared. Sighing, Alayus stared at the almost frozen bird and dug in, the aroma of the meat made her mouth water. Swiping a paw over her muzzle to get rid of the bird scent, she quickly gave herself a wash and appointed another dog for watch duty. The small group rested enough for the trek up and beyond the mountains with Weed in the lead. The small Akita bounded ahead and scent scouts left and right in search for wandering strangers willing to join their group. Slowly but surely their numbers grew but it still wasn't enough to fight against Hougen yet. The army kept high hopes and spirits as they plowed Northward in search for more allies.

Rundown Shelter...

The battle still raged as the leaders stood back to back, panting heavily. Hougen's army dwindled a lot due to inexperienced fighters. Snarling in rage, they swarmed once more only to be pushed back by the whirlwind of fangs and claws. Backing up only slightly, they looked for help from Hougen but the Great Dane was no where to be found. Losing confidence, they had no choice but to run full-force to their deaths.

"Annoying bastards! Why don't you just die already?!" John clamped his jaws around a dog's neck and snapped it quick, dropping the limp body. He turned to the rest of the pack. "Or even better, bring your leader Hougen out so I can fight him!"

"John, don't talk, it waste energy. We have to end this quickly." Gin responded, his eyes quickly scanning the surrounding areas for any signs of Hougen.

"Hey, Gin!" A loud voice rang out, obviously belonging to the Great Dane. "If you still want to fight, look this way!" Turning their heads, they noticed more shapes and a loud whimper. The moonlight helped shed some light on the newcomers. Gin's eyes widened in surprised as Rocket kept a tight hold on Reika.

"Isn't this pitiful, Gin? Hahaha!" Hougen laughed. "Surrender, unless you want me to tear her to shreds!"

"I'm sorry, Gin!" She shouted, ignoring her dilemma completely. "Don't worry about me!"

"Reika!"

"Hougen, you?!" John looked disgusted with this tactic.

"Shut up!" Hougen roared back, a smirk did wonders to his face as he started laughing. "It doesn't matter how victory is achieved! So, what do you say?!" Behind him, Reika was wrestled to the ground as Hougen's subordinates took turns attacking her defenseless body.

"Don't worry about me, Gin! Please, escape!" She cried, whimpering as sharp teeth started ripping into her skin.

"Shut up, bitch!" was one response and the attacks started to draw tiny amounts of blood.

Angered but unable to help her, Gin did the only possible choice. Looking directly into Hougen's ugly eyes, his voice rang out clear and true like a true leader.

"I surrender! Please, let her go!"