A/N: Chapter 31 of Ginga Densetsu Alayus. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my OCs. GDW and the other Ginga series belong to the rightful owner.
Special thanks to the reviewers and to the readers who Fav/Alert this story, I really appreciate it.
Chapter 31: To my friends
Out in the field...
"It seems that the storm had finally passed..." Kyoshiro noted after he crossed the freezing river, hauling himself over a steep snowbank breathlessly. He ran non-stop after leaving Toube behind so he didn't really know the fighter dog's fate. "I recognize these roads but..." He looked back to where he came from with mild frustration. Toube...did you survive? Please tell me...did you make it out alive?
"Those pieces of shit!" Not too far away, Kamakiri and his army were back out to hunt down their pray. After delivering Alayus to Hougen, which he was greatly rewarded for, the Great Dane sent the Irish Wolfhound back out to kill the ones that eluded him. "Where the hell did Toube run off too?! He should be dead a long time ago! Fuck you all and fuck him too!"
"Boss...don't we need to report this to Hougen?" Stone, Kamakiri's right hand man asked. He knew that his boss was extremely upset so he had to approach him as cautiously as possible. "Who knows what he'll say if we don't return to him soon, and..."
"Quit whining, you fool!" Already enraged about being thrown out into the morning snow and freezing his ass off, Kamakiri couldn't help but yell at his subordinates who backed up away from him. "But in that case, Stone...you can go and report this to him."
"But...what do I say?" Stone, ears flattened against his head asked in a small voice. "I...I can't go back without...without anything prepared..."
"Like I give a rat's ass!" The Irish Wolfhound snarled, bearing down on the smaller dog as the rest of the army looked on. "You decide! Quit wasting my time with your blunders!"
"Yes!" Whimpering, the dog turned tail and raced off back to report to Hougen.
"Hmph. One of them is almost on the verge of death...he couldn't have gone that far." Kamakiri snorted before giving out his orders. "You lot, split up and find them."
"Heh...thank goodness we've thrown them for a loop." Ryu spoke as he and the rest of his siblings hid in the shadows of the trees that overlooked Kamakiri's little group. With Toube in the middle the little group made sure not to go at a fast pace since the fighter dog wasn't invincible.
"Isn't that right?" Hanji mused, turning around to groom his fur that ended up out of place. "Those mutts are really dumb..."
"Toube-san are you okay?" Heita asked as he guarded the Tosa who was resting a little further away, his head resting over his paws. "You're not hurt are you?"
"Physically, not by much...a mutt's fangs can't do much to my tough skin..." came the gruff reply. "But my pride...it's taken a huge blow..."
"Ryo, relay this back to the Ohu army." Ryu said as his sister padded up beside him.
"Yes brother." She replied and darted away, keeping to the shadows so Kamakiri's group didn't spot her. Simultaneously, Weed and Akame returned to the anxious group waiting for them by the river.
"They're back!" GB said as Mel rushed forward to greet them. "Hey everyone, they're back!"
"Sorry...we were late." Akame apologized as the small group surrounded their leader with grins on their faces. "Is Kyoshiro and Toube not back yet?"
"Huh? Didn't you guys get him out of there?" Kagetora asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion. "Why isn't he with you?"
"No, we got split up halfway..." Akame explained. "They should be making their way back now but...last I saw, Kyoshiro was in bad shape and I have no idea what happened to Toube."
"Eh? Then...what are we doing just standing here?" asked Ken. "Shouldn't we go and rescue them?"
"That's the thing, as it currently stands...there are multiple routes they could've taken."
"Umm...Weed..." GB looked at the ground, unsure on how to formulate the words that would make sense to his leader. "Umm...er..."
"What is it GB?" Weed asked.
"Umm...well since we were worried because you got back late, Ken, Tesshin and I went near Gajou...and..."
"We came across a small battlefield..." Hiro picked up as the English Settler went silent. "There were dog bodies all around so we suspected that Toube had killed them...but he was nowhere to be found."
"We walked around and a few feet away Alayus' blood was on the ground."
"Alayus'...blood?" Weed whispered as the gears within his mind started to spin. "What was she doing over there?"
"We can assume that she appeared to help Toube and Kyoshiro..." Tesshin replied before telling them all about the scenario he envisioned in his mind. "Kyoshiro's scent already disappeared so he must have ran off when Toube was fighting...and when Toube was in trouble that's when Alayus showed up..."
"So where are they now?!" Akame questioned them, a look of panic on his face. "Those three could be anywhere!"
"We still don't know..." The Ninja dog said. "But I assume that...Alayus is now in their clutches. Toube and Kyoshiro are fine."
Alayus...Weed hung his head and gazed at the ground with shame.
Hougen that bastard...John growled as he looked towards where Gajou was. I'm gonna rip your throat out...
"How the hell did that pig-faced bastard get his filthy paws on my child?!" John snapped with anger, his fur fluffed out to show just how angry he was. "What the fuck! I want to go right into Gajou and rip his face to shreds!"
"Please calm down, John-san." Jerome replied, trying to get the Leader's right hand man to keep his temper under control. "Getting riled up is really bad for your health..."
"Don't treat me like I'm some old man!" The older of the two snapped, baring his teeth slightly. "Keep that up and I might change my mind about letting you marry my daughter."
"Alayus probably protected those two with her life..." Mel said quietly once John had settled down with a huff. "While she's away in the hands of that bastard Hougen, Toube-san and Kyoshiro are safe. We have to find them and quickly!"
"Mel..." Weed said before nodding his head with agreement.
"Hey!" They all looked past the river as Rocket rush on the scene, Ryo and Missile right behind him. "Everyone, we've got a problem!"
"What's wrong Rocket? Missile?" Weed asked, raising his voice to be heard over the rushing current of the river. "What's the word?"
"There's a problem!" Rocket came to a halt to relay information. "Kamakiri and his group are searching for Toube and Kyoshiro right down the stream. Not only that, Alayus is definitely being held captive in Hougen's paws!"
"Eh?!" The dogs all gasped with horror or shock...or perhaps both.
"C'mon! We need to go rescue them now!"
"Jerome, GB, Ken, Kagetora, Tesshin, Shigure's group and the Ninja Dogs, come with me." Weed ordered and got a unified response.
"Me too." Hiro stepped forward as he explained his reasoning. "I owe the Leader when I was captured by Hougen. The daughter of the Leader's friend is now in the hands of our enemies. I want to repay John-sama for the time he and the Leader allowed Reika and I to escape."
"Hiro..."
"And Kamakiri is my father's killer. Please Weed, let me be selfish this once and take that bastard down myself." He padded towards the younger dog with a voice of pleading. "I'm begging you, pretty please!"
"Hiro, we're not going there to fight." Tesshin reminded the Great Pyrenees.
"And with how you are, you wouldn't be able to escape at a crucial moment if you needed to..." Kagetora added.
"But..."
"Please resist this." Akame said softly, looking at Hiro with sympathy.
"...now wait a minute..."
"Weed!" The other dogs gasped at the leader. "You can't be serious!"
"Hiro, I have a mission for you..." Weed looked at Hiro with determination. "Would you please go and find Kyoshiro? When you find him, take him back here and wait for us. Hopefully we'll be done then."
"B-But Weed..."
"I'm sorry Hiro but I can't let you come with the main party." The Akita apologized to him, his heart feeling like its torn in two at the sorrowful expression on his friend's face. "Please understand."
"...alright..." Hiro agreed and watched as the dogs race off into the distance.
"Hiro-san..." Reika said softly as she gazed at the Great Pyrenees.
"Mel, John-sama." Hiro spoke, getting the Labrador Retriever's and the German shepherd's attention. "Keep Reika safe."
"Mmhmm, you can count on me!" Mel said with determination. John for his part just flicked his ear, letting Hiro know that he had nothing to worry about.
"Well then, I'm off." with that the Great Pyrenees bid farewell and started to walk in the other direction.
"Hiro-san..."
"Reika..." He stopped and looked over his shoulder at the female.
"Are you...going to follow Weed and the others...after you're done?"
"Reika, my father was killed by Kamakiri. He also took away my right eye at the same time. Originally the only reason I had to live was to take out that bastard but...but I became a part of Ohu, made friends, and I changed." He smiled at her. "Weed is my friend, Alayus whom I have yet to meet is also considered my friend. I think that a friend's father just as I would my own father."
"That's really nice." John commented. "I'd like to think of you as my son...but I ended up with a daughter so there's that..."
"John-sama, please don't be rude..." Reika chastised him lightly.
"Since Kamakiri is after friends of Weed...and if he isn't stopped, he'll come after John-san or the Leader..." His single eye narrowed with anger. "I'm not going to allow him to take my father away twice so I must stop him."
Hiro-san... "Please come back safely..." The Akita Inu mix replied in a shaky voice, staring at him with twinkling eyes. "I'll be here...waiting for you. So...please come back alive!"
"...don't worry Reika, I return soon before you know it..." Giving her one last smile, the Great Pyrenees plodded away and disappeared out of sight.
"So...you like him don't you?" John asked, getting a huge blush from Reika. "...called it."
Inside Gajou...
"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
When Alayus opened her eyes she found herself thrown into the confines of the massive rock structure, the very same one Kyoshiro was thrown into. Craning her neck she noticed that her wounds were still bleeding, tricking down her side and onto the ground which was already stained with old blood.
That scream...The German shepherd wondered as she stayed silent. With her sharp hearing she could listen into any conversation if the voices are loud enough. Whose was it...?
"Keh!" Hougen's voice full of disgust soon followed, causing her body to tense up. "I already told you that the next time you fucked up, this would happen!"
Sounds like he just killed someone...
"That Kamakiri is a piece of shit." The Great Dane continued to speak, obviously to the other generals that were summoned to his chambers. "'They escaped, so we're gonna go find them'? What bullshit!" Alayus shuttered when she heard the large dog hit what sounded like the dead corpse in rage.
"But Hougen-sama..." Bat's voice followed, sounding calm and collected after witnessing one of Hougen's killings. "He did bring someone important in..."
"...I guess you're right..." Hougen agreed as he thought about it. "I wish he didn't bring her back with ugly wounds...it doesn't look good on her if she ends up having a scar."
"Do you think the Ohu army will tried that tactic again?" Kite prompted. "We have one hostage here...do you think they'll come for her?"
"Perhaps...or they may not..." Hougen mused to himself. "In the meantime, you are to treat her with extra care..." He padded over to a crack in the wall, peering at his large army as they awaited for something to happen. I can't wait for them to make a move...hmm...
"Hougen-sama, what are your orders?" Buruge asked, noticing that the Great Dane's tail was waving back and forth quite stiffly; he was still irritated about listening to the bullshit report from Stone.
"Gather everyone up and line them around Gajou!" Hougen decided as he looked at the generals. "The Ohu army will attempt to take this place back eventually...Defense is absolute!"
So that's how it is...Alayus thought after she finished listening in. Urgh...I can't really move with an injury like this...well damn it.
Somewhere...
"Shit...someone's coming..." Kyoushiro frowned, his ear twitching when he listened to the wind. He had been continuing downward, following the river to get back to Weed and the others. Dammit...if they find me, I'd have no excuse when I see Toube...What should I do...fighting shouldn't be an option for me. He quickly looked around and found the perfect hiding place.
"He shouldn't be far!"
"He can't run, not from all of us!"
"C'mon! The scent's getting stronger!"
TROMP~TROMP~TROMP~TROMP~TROMP~TROMP~
"Tsk...they're getting closer and closer..." Kyoshiro grimaced as he stayed hidden underneath the shelter of a giant rock, prying that it doesn't come loose and squish him flat. Digging himself a hole in the snow, he curled up and waited, staring out at the cracks in anticipation. "If I don't have a choice...then I must fight!" He waited for awhile before the urge to fight won out so he shook the snow from his pelt and went out to greet his enemies.
"Hmm...the trail ends here but..." Kamakiri's army frowned as they searched the arena, noses to the snow. "Where could he have gone?"
"Hey! Looking for me?" Kyoshiro asked as he appeared before them, glaring down from where he stood on top of the rock.
"You're...!"
"I'm Kyoshiro from Shiga!" The battle-scarred Kishu smirked before charging forth, lips pulled back to show off razor sharp fangs. "Come at me with all you've got!"
"That bastard's underestimating us!" The leader of the small group snarled as he ordered his comrades to fight. "Kill him!"
"Looks like you've got some guts in you!" Kyoshiro snapped as he got rid of two or three dogs immediately. He tried to move forward but realized that one had his jaws clamped around his tail. "Not bad!"
"Get a load of this then!" Another set of jaws clamped around his neck, pinning him to the ground. "You little shit!"
"Bastard!" Kyoshiro spat as he thrashed about, lashing out in anyway he could. "Let me go!"
"Grab his legs!"
"Keep him quiet!"
"Not yet!" Kyoshiro yelped as he fought harder. "I'm not going to lose to you yet! Come on then!"
"You've caused us quite a lot of trouble." An arrogant dog sneered, glancing down at the Kishu with murderous eyes. "Die!"
I'm gonna die...! Kyoshiro thought as the dog's jaw came closer and closer. I'm gonna die...!
"Ah, what the?!" The dog paused, his ears perking up for a minute.
"It's the Ohu army!" Another dog spoke up after sniffing the wind. "Stop for now."
"Hmph, we're not through yet." Sinking his teeth into Kyoshiro's fur, the dog led his group into a place just out of sight and waited. The thundering of paws echoed above as Weed and his group sped past. However GB paused, nose to the air.
"Huh?" The English Settler wondered, peering over the ledge to see absolutely nothing except for the coursing river. "Huh..."
Weed...Kyoshiro thought as he was held down. Weed! I'm here! I'm here! "Guah!"
"Keep quiet!" The dog growled, shoving the Kishu's muzzle into the snow. They waited for a few more minutes, listening and holding their breath. "Good, it seems like it worked...You bastard, you scared me!"
Shit...shit! Kyoshiro cursed as Kamakiri's small group smiled down at him. Damn it all!