A/N: Chapter 38 of Ginga Densetsu Alayus. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own OCs. Ginga Densetsu Weed and all the other Ginga series belongs to the rightful owner.
Special thanks to the reviewers and to the readers who Fav/Alert this story, I really appreciate it.
Chapter 38: Hougen's Return to Gajou
By the river...
"So you're saying Alayus went after Weed who was chasing Hougen?" Ryu asked as his siblings arrived on the scene, noticing that only Reika was laying there and no one else was in sight. Not too much later, Kyoshiro, Tesshin and the other dogs they have chosen arrived so they were all caught up on the situation.
"Yes." Reika replied. "I was ordered to stay here."
"Then we should get moving too." Kagetora noted, his ear twitching when a snow flurry landed against his fur. Feeling a slight chill he shook his pelt with a frown. "With the amount that's falling we could lose their trail at any given time."
"Let us go too." Ryu spoke up before they left, looking at them with determination along with the rest of his siblings. "We're Alayus-sama's command unit. Wherever she goes we follow no questions asked."
"But what about Reika-san?" Kagetora asked with concern. "Weren't you ordered to guard her too?"
"I'll be fine." She spoke up before Ryo could answer, a smile on her face. "You don't have to worry about me. I don't want to feel like a burden."
"Don't be so worried, and that's not really it, Reika-san." Ryu assured them all. "Hanji and Heita will be assigned to protect Reika-san." He looked at his two younger brothers. "Is that alright?"
"Mmm. Leave it to us." Hanji nodded his head with approval.
"We'll protect Reika-san with our very lives." Heita added.
"Very well, come with us." The Kai dog spoke and the small group rushed off, leaving the other three dogs behind. Elsewhere Hougen struggled his way through the terrible blizzard, his eyes narrowed to keep the ice out. Suddenly he fell through the ice and he scrambled to hoist himself out. Digging his claws against the ice surface he managed to escape and knelt beside the hole, his nose scrunched up with annoyance.
"That was close, I didn't know there was a river below here..." Releasing a snort he stepped much more carefully, pressing his paws against the ground if he was unsure the ice would hold his weight. I wouldn't be in this mess if that god damn kid would just die. Then my plans would've proceeded smoothly and I would rule over Gajou as its rightful king!
"He's a lucky bastard..." Alayus growled when she finally caught up, watching the entire ordeal. When the dog fell she desperately wished for him to fall through. Looking further ahead she noticed a place where she could potentially attack him and thought about it. The chances of me winning is quite slim...not to mention there's nobody around to help if things go down hill...
Shaking her head she opted for another tactic: distract Hougen as much as possible before throwing him into the river. Running along ahead she began to prepare accordingly. She had to work fast, the Great Dane was approaching and unfortunately for her the winds from the south had picked up, sending her scent towards him.
"Hmmm...?" Hougen stopped, his nose lifted into the air and his eyes narrowed slightly. "This scent...it's familiar..." He quickly dodged to the right as something flew from the bushes. "Huh? What was that?"
Gotta pick up the pace! It's now or never! Alayus threw as much ammo as she could from sticks all the way to rocks. She threw them randomly, not wanting the Great Dane to pick up on a pattern. She could tell he was getting annoyed as he started to bite at the flying objects.
"What the hell...quit throwing things coward!" Hougen snapped before getting a snowball in the eyes. He wiped the obstructive material with a paw before a driving force knocked him on his back. Rolling across the snow, he looked up to see Alayus standing before him, her lips tight-lipped.
"Well well...I was wondering when you would show up." He licked his lips eagerly and stood up. "I see you came back to play with me huh? I'm getting excited."
Ewww, he's still disturbing as ever. Alayus couldn't help but shudder with disgust. Shaking her head she crouched low before springing forward, slashing at Hougen with her fangs. The Great Dane snarled before slamming his paw against her back, eliciting a yelp from the German Shepherd.
"Did you honestly think that would work? I got you where I want you!"
"Tch!" She rolled out of the way, watching as the ground cracked underneath his claws. If I had stayed I would've been crushed.
"Well? Don't tell me that's all you got..." Hougen taunted, wiggling his ears for extra measure. "If you value your life why don't you surrender and come with me?"
"Sorry but I'm already taken." Alayus responded, running towards him. "Better luck next time!"
"Well if that's the case, then allow me to crush you!" Hougen reared up, attempting to smash her against the cold surface.
"Left yourself wide open!" She clamped her jaws against his bared chest, driving both her hind legs into the ground and attempted to shove him into the river. Catching on to her plan he wailed and struggled to break free. "I'm gonna drown you Hougen! So say your prayers!"
"Unhand me! Unhand me I say!" He cried out, glancing back from time to time at the raging stream. "Unhand me damn it!"
I'm almost there...! Just a little...more...! Alayus thought as she slowly pushed him back. "Why won't you die you bastard?!"
"Grrrrr...damn you, bitch!" Slamming his paws against the ground Hougen whipped his head around, sinking his teeth into her soft flank. She winced but held on tightly refusing to release him and did her best to push him towards the edge. "This is your last warning: Release. Me!"
"Never!" She replied, tightening her grip. "I won't let you go!"
"You've made your decision. Then get a taste of this!"
RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIP~
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Alayus screamed as the Great Dane tore her flank with his teeth by moving his head at an angle. Letting him go she was thrown back, her blood staining the ground red from the attack. Attempting to stand back a pressure slammed down upon her neck and she gasped out.
"You're too young to be deciding who gets to die and in front of me...well that's an insult!"
"Argh!" She gasped as his paw slammed into her ribs and she curled up to protect as much as she could. He repeatedly punched her before gripping the back of her neck with his teeth. She felt her body being lifted off the ground before getting slammed back down, the air leaving her lungs.
"Normally I don't beat girls but you...you're the worse of them all!" The Great Dane snarled as he threw her again and again, tightening his hold and putting a lot of strength into his beating. "Daughter of that bastard John, I'll beat you to death!"
"Stop!" Weed's voice rang through the air and the leader rushed up, his eyes narrowed with anger with what he saw. "Hougen! You bastard!"
"Oh isn't this a lovely surprise...very well then!" Hougen mused before throwing his wounded opponent into the water, didn't bother batting an eyelash before sneering. "You're next, Kid!"
It won't be that way...! Taking a sharp turn Weed disregarded the Great Dane all together and swam after his comrade.
"So...that's what he wanted to do...how boring." Hougen mused before marching off to Gajou, his nose pointed straight up into the air with arrogance. "Hmph." As soon as he left, the small group of Ohu soldiers appeared, Tesshin skidding to the halt to slow everyone else.
"What's wrong Tesshin? Why did you stop?" Kagetora asked, almost colliding into the dog because he stopped abruptly.
"The scents are all lumped together..." The Koga dog told them as he re-accounted what might have happened. "The fight occurred here but then that's that."
"They probably got washed away in the river! This blood stain definitely belongs to Alayus-sama!" Ryo spoke up, gesturing to a red-splattered ground. "Seems to me that she's been injured badly!"
"Let's check a little further, maybe we'll catch up to them!"
"But up ahead..." GB watched with horror as the others scouted out the scents, his ears laid back against his head. "It's 500 meters of snow, they won't make it!"
"Shut your face!" Kyoshiro snapped, whirling on the Settler like he was an annoying piece of meat. "If you say any more unnecessary things I'll rip your tongue out!"
"Don't be so harsh on him." Jerome said, feeling sorry for GB. "Although being gloomy like that isn't going to help anyone. Have some more confidence in your peers."
"We believe in them!" Ryu spoke calmly in contrast to the Kishu's outburst and nodding his head in Jerome's direction. "It's like Jerome-sama said. There's no room for doubts now!"
"Alayus-sama isn't going to die as easily as you think she will!" Ryo added her own voice into the matter. "We'll have to reach the exit before they do!"
"Agreed. We have to have faith in both our leaders." Tesshin nodded and took off running with the other dogs running behind him. "Let's get going!"
In the river...
The wound...luckily it's not deep but it's restricting my movements..."Glub glub...!" Alayus nearly swallowed a mouthful as she was carried downstream. She could feel the ice cold feeling wash over her wound and shivered. There was no doubt in her mind that if her wound isn't treated she'd develop hypothermia. I have to find a way...to return back to the surface!
"Alayus!" She turned to see Weed swimming towards her, eyes widened with surprise. "Hang on I'm coming!"
"Weed! What are you doing?!" She gasped out and attempted to make him leave her. "Go back up! This isn't a place for you!"
"You're our comrade! There's no way I'm leaving you now!" He responded hotly. "We're gonna get Paradise back together! We won't let Hougen win and I...I want you to witness Paradise!"
"Weed...Urk!" She winced before falling underneath the surface when her side cramped up. She struggled, her paws floundering a bit before she felt something push her back to the surface. Taking a breath once she broke surface she noticed Weed swimming right beside her. "T-Thanks!"
"Stay alert! We don't know what's up ahead." Weed said but soon disappeared underneath when he slammed into an unseen rock, bubbles of oxygen escaping his lungs. "Guh!"
"Weed!" Alayus took a deep breath and ducked under, following the canine's body as it was been swept by the currents. Grabbing onto him from being swept away, she spotted a spot and pushed for it. Once they breached the surface Weed proceeded to cough out any water still lodged in his lungs. "Are you okay?"
"I am, but what about you?" He asked her.
"Hougen ripped my side but it's not deep...at least to my knowledge. Unfortunately I'm starting to loose some feeling." She told him. "It might be due to the fact that we're currently in this ice-cold water and the longer we stay here the more trouble we'll have."
"Sorry, I came to help but ended up getting helped..."
"Weed, everyone is going to need help of others...it's just how it goes." She said as she shook her head. "One dog alone can't bring Paradise together, it has to be a joint effort. Much like your dad and mine, along with Akame-san, the three of them made Paradise the way it is."
"Well regardless...don't you think it's a bit cold here?" Weed asked and shivered. "I never knew it could be this...this frightening."
"You haven't turned 1 year old have you?" Alayus chuckled at the thought. "Neither have I and I too feel like this is beyond cold. Hmm...my mother once told me about the Spring of Ohu."
"The Spring of Ohu?"
"Yup. I don't really recall the details but apparently there will be a lot of flowers and an abundance of different fragrances in the air. The air would warm up considerably once the snow melts."
"That's sounds amazing..."
"Red, White, Yellow and Blue. There's a lot of variety and it's so welcoming after looking at a winter wonderland. It is then that my mother said that 'Paradise' has been achieved."
"Spring, huh? I want to see it..." Weed's voice was sounding sleepy and he started to doze off. "I wonder...if I can last that long..."
"Weed!? You shouldn't sleep!" Alayus said with worry, nosing him to stay awake. He's losing heat in this area and due to his size the temperature is dropping quick! I gotta swim to somewhere else! Grabbing Weed lightly with her teeth the German Shepherd continued to follow the current. Her body was bruised and battered as various rocks slammed against her but she held on tightly, refusing to let go.
They continued to ride the current until there was another spot that looked promising and Alayus maneuvered them so that they would be pressed up against the wall, lifting both her head and Weed's above the surface.
"Nnnngh..." Weed let out a weak groan but didn't open his eyes.
"Stay with me okay Weed?! We're getting out of here you hear me!" Alayus begged, looking around in hopes of digging her way out. Seeing no other options she huddled close, giving as much warmth as she possibly could give to him. Someone please...! Save us!
Elsewhere...
"Wait a minute..." Kyoshiro spoke up suddenly, stopping to smell the ground below him. The group had ran on, following the river towards the exit as fast as they could possibly go. "Blood...! I can smell blood!"
"What...? Blood?" Ken turned to look as the others padded around.
"It's here...I can smell it from inside here." Kyoshiro insisted and began to jump, breaking off a good size hole without falling in. Peeking down he scanned the area before spotting what he was looking for. "There! They're down there!"
"K...Kyoshiro..." Alayus spoke weakly, opening her eyes to see his concerned expression. She tried to not doze off and the sound of voices had reached her ears. She held Weed in her paws to prevent him from drifting away.
"Hang on Alayus! Don't die on me yet!" He told her before yelling at the others, jumping to a place right over the dogs' heads. "C'mon and help! They're both under here!"
"What the...? This is serious!"
"I'll lend a paw!"
"Hurry up...! The longer they stay the more serious the condition!"
"You hear that Weed? Can you hear that?" Alayus asked as she heard the voices from above, her own conscious starting to fade. "Everyone came to save us...Everyone..."
"Alayus!" She forced her eyelids to open and looked up, seeing a newly created hole with Kyoshiro shouting down. "Alayus! Hang in there! Don't you dare sleep on me!"
"I'll go down first and get Weed." Jerome spoke, looking down and carefully picked his path. His mission was to rescue both dogs without plunging into the freezing waters himself. "I'll hoist him up so be ready when I hand him to you."
"Okay, then I'll follow next." Kyoshiro offered. "There's enough for two dogs to go and you can pass him to me."
"Everyone!" The dogs turned to see Jet running onto the scene. "I got the update from Akame! Allow me to be of assistance!"
"They're probably freezing and the temperature in their bodies need to be reheated!" Tesshin called orders as Jerome and Kyoshiro disappeared into the hole. "Pile up and make sure they get covered by your furs! Your body heats will help them!"
"...Jero...me..." Alayus stared as the German Shepherd approached, digging his claws into the ice bank to hold his balance.
"Hand me Weed, I'll get him out first so he can begin to warm up." He told her with an encouraging smile. "I promise I won't drop him."
"I barely...have enough energy..." She said but feebly passed Weed over without any incident. Hoisting the waterlogged pup out, Jerome wasted no time handing him off to Kyoshiro who waited for him.
"You go on ahead, I'll bring Alayus up." Jerome told him once the battle-scarred Kishu got a good grip. "Weed needs to be warmed up as quickly as he can!" Getting a head nod he turned his attention back to the German Shepherd still in the water. "C'mon...you can do it. I'll save you."