Chapter Seven: We can drive around this town, and let the cops chase us around.
Alex did not mind traveling in the vehicle, though he would rather have run alongside it. Sadly the Silver Fang told him that wasting his strength in such a way would be against the good of the pack. He looked at the human city of "Kalm" and smelled the air.
Compared to the one called "Midgar" it was a bed of roses in full bloom. Still Midgar could have made a field of the dead and decaying smell enjoyable. Granted the town of Kalm seemed to have been cut from a different cloth. It was designed for the same purpose as the canyon he held close to his heart.
Of course it was nowhere near as grand, not that Alex blamed the humans. It was completely unfair to expect them to have the patience or the skill to do with bricks and cut blocks of stone what could be done with the raw material. He entered walking on two legs so as not to draw attention to the group as the Silverfang wanted them to have as much stealth as possible.
Granted "Stealth" was an equivocal phrase when traveling with a Ragabash. The Silver Fang had made the most unwise (In Alex's eyes) decision of allowing the Bone Gnawer and the Black Fury to go off together. Between the one's zeal for life and the other's playful malice, one could not rule out any possibility.
Granted Alex had a healthy respect for both of them (Or at least the Black Fury) when it came to battle. Still one should keep a close eye on Ragabashes under all circumstances, or else they would end up telling a Red Talon that they needed to think more like a human and less like a wolf. Or even worse a Black Fury that she had nice pelt and would she like to be mates with them?
The second problem while having more severe results was also self curing. If the Black Fury said yes after she was done with him (supposing the Ragabash hadn't been gelded with silver implements) then the Ragabash soon learned how to stay in line for the most part. Suffice to say that seemed the situation with those two.
Alex readjusted that train of thought as the two returned from their hunt for supplies. The Ragabash gripped a metallic scythe in both hands and looked up at the Silver Fang with pride in his eyes. "Mirri felt that I should have a weapon besides the guns I stole from guards. What do you think? Grim Reaper Firecat!" Alex wasn't quite sure what to say. He had heard humans use the phrase "Grim Reaper" enough to know that it was the equivalent to death.
Suffice to say, it was harder to imagine some on less likely to portray death then a Ragabash. The Silver Fang had similar ideas. "Grim? Mirri, I thought you said that you would keep a close eye on James..." The Black Fury had changed her artificial coat somewhat. Thought maintaining the same colors she now also wore a flowing white piece of clothing similar to a cloak that went from her chin down to her knees.
It was flung open and thus Alex could only guess at what purpose it was supposed to serve. In the end he guessed that it like many artificial coats he had seen it served no actual purpose as was just there to make the wearer look or feel more like an alpha. The surprising thing was that it actually worked to an extent on the Black Fury, it was simple, but elegant, and somehow just managed to hint at the dangers within.
The Black Fury smiled sweetly at the Silver Fang (a more dangerous sign in nature was hard to imagine) as she spoke. "I did. I decided that James needed a weapon besides what he would get off of dead guards. So I let him choose something that he liked and was good with. He chose the scythe, and he's actually fairly impressive with it. Come on James, why don't you show them?"
As she spoke the Black Fury pulled out numerous red fruit from her pockets. She then began to pass them back and forth between her hands in a show of great dexterity. Slowly one at a time she somehow managed to toss one of the fruits towards the Ragabash while keeping all the others in perfect motion.
She tossed them from various angles at various times but for each one the Ragabash would lean in the correct direction, swing his scythe and slice the thing in half. Then when she finally only had two left the Black Fury tossed them both, one to the left and one to the right. The Ragabash giddily wielded his blade, spinning it in a full circle and slicing both of them apart.
After that the two turned to the rest of the group and bowed as if they were showing off just for their enjoyment. Clearly the Silver Fang was not amused. "Fine, he can keep it, did you get the other things I asked for?" The Black Fury shrugged like a wolf whose meal was being interrupted by a scavenging bird asking if it could get some of that carcass.
"Of course I did. Food, canteens, some materia, in the amounts you asked for, after all we can only take with us what we can carry." The Ragabash broke in the moment the Black Fury finished. "By the way... are we so sure that we shouldn't be thinking about getting some chocobos?" Alex stifled a laugh, just like he did every time he heard humans talking about ridding chocobos.
If they couldn't trust their own legs they had nothing, chocobos had been put on this world to feed others, like wolves. The Ragabash continued either not noticing or not caring about Alex's half laugh. "Because apparently if we go the way you say we're going on foot, we're going to run into the Midgar Zolom. By the way, why is it called the Midgar Zolom, Midgar is a way back, shouldn't it be the Kalm Zolom?"
The phrase "A Ragabash Question" was a well known among Garou, and Alex had never herd a better example of it. He answered it anyway regardless of its nature. "It's a corrupted translation of a language the followers of Fenris created to help them better communicate in any form.
In that language, Midgard is the world. Midgar Zolom would be a monstrous serpent who could encircle the entire world with its body. Also called 'Jormangundr', it supposedly is the beast that Fenris would fight on the day he is freed from his chains. Suffice to say, this Zolom is nothing but an oversized snake. I see no reason why this pack could not drive it to ground and kill it."
There was a great silence after Alex comment while everyone else digested what he said. In the end Aeris spoke next. "Well if we know where we're going, are sure we can go that way, and are ready to go, what are we waiting for?" The Black Fury instantly nodded her assent. "Aeris I like the way you think. No point in worrying about monsters from stories, I've seen plenty of monsters out here, and not a single on could stand up to me."
The Ragabash nodded his agreement to that statement. "Yeah, I mean look at us! We're scarier than anything that we're going to run into out there! You wanna see a real monster that makes people run in fear? I'll take off my hat!"
Had Alex been in a form that would have allowed the particular motion, he would be rolling on the ground, his paws batting at the sky in laughter. There truly is nothing more magnificent then the words of a Ragabash.
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The monster that rose up out of the swamp was clearly not large enough to wrap its body around the world. If it ever met Fenris in battle the thing would have soon been so much shredded flesh. However it was approximately 50 feet long and possibly a touch taller then Fenris. Suffice to say, this thing was not a monster of legends, but it would not be easily destroyed.
The Silver Fang took his place in the vanguard of the charge against the thing. The monster opened up its horrific maw, showing teeth easily as big as Alex was. It didn't matter. The Silver Fang broke to the left and Alex followed him as the Silver Fang took his blade and drove it into the monsters huge body.
Granted the blade was most likely only a pinprick to the monster, but Alex didn't care. A wolf pack did not kill their larger prey in one single attack, wolves had fortitude and would wear the beast down. The Black Fury and the Ragabash went to the right of the monster. The Black Fury releasing her claws into the monsters side while the Ragabash made one quick strike and then darted away.
The monster bellowed in pain, but not in any particular mortal kind of pain. It twisted around like a striking serpent, trying to drive its body between the two groups so it could cut them off from each other. Now it was Alexander's turn, the ground was wet and marshy, but it was firm enough to run against and to jump from.
Alex pushed off, at the same time allowing his connection with Gaia to flow through him. Alex's leap could have carried him to the clouds, he easily managed to land on the monstrous snakes back digging his claws into it. It was more to help him hold on than to damage, that would come next. Alex lowered his head and ripped a chunk of flesh from the monsters back.
The monster wheeled, its head arching up, no longer looking down at the three below, but its rising like a cobra, looking right at Alex. The disparity in size meant nothing to Alex, his teeth tore another chunk of flesh from the monster's back. The monster bellowed in pain, and then suddenly a blast of intense fire struck Alex.
It was said that those like his father, those born to mature slowly, born in the shape of those who controlled fire, could appease its spirit not to harm a Garou. Alex had no such protection, he felt his coat burst into flames and with a yelp of pain he tore his claws from the monsters back and rolled off it. He found sudden unexpected relief in the swampy marsh below, it extinguished the fire as he rolled his entire body over in it.
The monster had turned back to the other three and its huge body tried to corral the three surrounding them. Even after he had extinguished the fire, Alex felt pain shoot through his body, wounds left by fire would not heal quickly, but he ignored the pain. He reached into himself, and this time felt the strength of Fenris flow through. His paws had wings as he once again leaped onto the things back and began to run its scaly length.
Finally he reached the end just below the monster's huge head, and once more called on the strength of Fenris. The chunk of flesh that Alex's jaws now tore from the monster was even larger then the last one. The monster let out a horrible yell unbelieving that the foe it had thought dead had returned. It spun around, but this time with none of its former speed.
Alex was determined to finish this monster once and for all, all on his own, just the way Fenris would face Jormangundr, he would slay this Midgar Zolom. /Drive this monster towards solid ground!\ Long hours well spent had taught Alex how to communicate universally to all creatures, wolves, other animals and humans. The three on the ground did not argue, as the monster turned Alex began to run back down its body, dodging balls of flame it summoned to throw at him. All the while the other three where driving their claws into the thing driving it towards land, like a wounded chocobo driven towards a pack waiting for it.
Slowly it drew close enough, as Alex neared the tip of the monsters tail, he felt a bump as the monsters body transferred from marsh to land. He let out a loud howl to the sky, and to the land itself to rise up in his aid, to produce life with the goal of destruction.
In the blink of an eye it happened, a small seedling burst from the ground, and it grew into a sapling, then a tree. Then that tree became a towering elder, with one difference. This tree had no branches and no leaves, its top was a sharp point.
A point that drove through the monster's body and then through the monster's head, finally killing it. Alex easily jumped from the monsters unmoving tail landing on the ground, with the slain monster behind him. Then he let out a very long breath and went down his knees barely higher up then his paws his wounds finally managing to catch up with him.
The Ragabash looked up at the impaled Zolom and let out a very long whistle. "Jeeze, hate to be the next guy who comes along and sees this! I mean look at it! It's like Mother Nature meets Mirri!" The Silver Fang looked up at it as well, and nodded. "I think we overspent ourselves killing that thing."
The Black Fury looked up at it an added her sentiments. "I don't know, I think it sort of adds an ambience to this place. Nothing livens up the place like an impaled monster. Sort of Vlad Tepes meets Saint Patrick, you know driving out the snakes, except he does it by impaling them." The Child of Gaia who had taken no part in the battle slowly made her way across the swamp following the others.
Of course she got right to the point none of the others cared to notice, (or at least acknowledge) about the situation. "Alex your hurt!" It was the Fenris code that any wound could be overcome. However, you were allowed to look for healing outside your body in a few cases. One of those was silver, yet another was fire so Alex swallowed his pride.
/Yes, the monster hit me with a blast of flame.\ A green glow began to surround her hands as she reached out and touched Alex's flanks. A feeling of warmness passed over Alex's body as the burn of flame became healingly gentle. Alex drew in another breath and shook his mane, the Child of Gaia was quite skilled whether or not she realized it.
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Sephiroth looked up at the dead Zolom, and at the tree that had killed it. It did something to him as he looked up at it. Even though he had killed countless people in battle, this was something new.
This was a strength that extended outside ones body, the strength of the world focused on a single point. What he could do with materia, what he could do without it, his own internal magic was dwarfed by it.
His mind reeled with thoughts, the earth itself opening up to swallow foes... ropes of water drowning men on dry land... water becoming so hot it melted a ships hull to scrap... the visions went on and on, each one more horrifying then the last. In the end he could only come up with one phrase.
"Stop thinking like a human Sephiroth, you must stop thinking like a human..." The power of the Cetra, wielded in that manner, it was the future of the world if his father ever got his hands that power.
It was no wonder why Jenova dared not fight the Cetra straight on, he could only be glad that the Cetra could handle their power better than humans would. He let out another low sigh. "Let's keep going. So long as none of us need rest." A quick nod all around showed that none of them did, so they pressed onward into the caves.
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Mirri rather liked the caves, the light shone through it at odd angles creating interesting shapes. For example, if you looked in the right places with the right frame of mind you could see anything. Monstrous shapes, or even one that rather resembled Reno. "Hey Catwarrior, since your still alive wanna make out with me?"
Apparently some things were more monstrous and harder to slay than fifty foot snakes. Thankfully Mirri was saved from having to make a retort by something else she never expected to see at any point in her life, James trying to be threatening.
"Hey righty, what kind of imbecile doesn't know that most cats are left handed? So unless you want me to put a bullet in your liver, you should beat it!" "Yes, that's exactly what I got last time we met, I only shocked you hard enough to put you in cardiac arrest!" Snarl, snarl. "Hey, I had my hands full with Aeris!" "And your friends were distracting me out on the platform!"
Mirri found herself holding quite a sick interest in where this was going. It was like those natures shows she had watched about the mating habits of cheetahs. The female cheetah would only mate if it was surrounded by males, and once that was true it would look over the males and select one it liked. Of course the males would do all they could to try and convince the female to mate with them.
Now being cheetahs they didn't have much in the way of stamina. So they would basically laze around all day and the moment the female cheetah showed herself the others would turn into great big masculine stud cheetahs, for about five minutes.
Then the female would return to whatever she was doing, (Mirri was fairly sure it was hunting for food which she didn't share with the males) and the males would all collapse and try to catch their breath for the rest of the day. Now Mirri had never particularly considered anything beside monogamy (most likely because she never really considered monogamy) but the idea of having a harem full of male cheetahs who came alive at her appearance was fairly interesting to her.
Granted the first thing she had to do was kick Reno out of it and find more people like James. Sadly, while Mirri busy taking having an estragon induced flight of fancy James and Reno looked about ready to tear each other apart. "Why don't you come down from that platform, and Grim Reaper Firecat is going to teach you lesson about respecting women!" "I'll stick my nightstick up your ass and turn it on!"
Thankfully less testosterone controlled men were on hand to step in. "Reconnaissance Officer Firecat, stand down." "Reno, put a sock in it. I was there to see you on the platform, you got cocky and he dropped the heavy end of the hammer on you."
Mirri snapped back just in time to see the two leaders acknowledge each other. "Sephiroth." "Tseng." "You have a bad habit of refusing to die." "My blood runs neon green with mako, what's your excuse?" "I'm too stubborn to die."
It was quick, like boxers touching gloves. Tseng and Reno were both on platforms above them. If they started shooting they would have the advantage of height. Of course two Turks against two SOLDIERS were about even odds. So with Alex and James as well it would be extremely bad idea regardless of having height temporarily on their side. Even Reno seemed quite aware of this, regardless of his desire to challenge James for the right of courting Mirri.
"This is General Sephiroth, he doesn't look so tough!" A third Turk entered, she was female with blue eyes and blond hair, and she looked slightly older then Mirri, but then, Mirri had gotten her mako and Jenova treatments early in life. Reno instantly spun around the female Turk. "Elena, shut, it. You don't interrupt boss when he's busy having his staring contests. I mean there are things that even I don't do! Boss and General have a history, I don't ask about it, I don't get in the way of it. Same way he doesn't say anything about me and Mirri."
Mirri instantly realized a chance to knock Reno's ego down a peg, and you didn't miss those as a matter of principle. "That's because we don't have a history Reno. To me you're just like every other sexually active man I've met, your attracted to me. The only difference between Joe Jim Bob and you is that you have some carefully inbred traits that have kept you from going far enough that I remove bits of your genitalia.
Not that I haven't been tempted, but somehow Reno you managed to walk that fine line where you just aren't worth my time. Much the way James walks the fine line of being funny to me, and being like you. Funny how every time I see you, the line he walks grows a little less fine."
Elena turned back to Tseng and nodded to him slowly. "So, Tseng, are these the ones we're looking for?" Tseng took one more glare at Sephiroth and shook his head. "Not a chance in hell. Sephiroth's the only sword user among them, and the President's wound wasn't caused by Masamune."
Elena turned around and looked back at the passage way she had used to enter. "Well then let's get out of here. President Rufus wants us to find his father's killer first and deal with rebels second. Whoever did it is supposedly heading for Junon, so we should, too!"
Reno looked at Elena and his eyebrows went up in surprise and anger. "Elena! Shut. Up! Seriously, with you blabbing our mission and our intel around like it's something you can find a public library I'm surprised Shinra hasn't collapsed yet! With enemies like you girl why do those people need friends? Ohh by the way Mirri, that goes double for us."
Reno's lecherous wink was greeted with Mirri loading blade into her claws. With that Reno took a step back and walked out along with Tseng and Elena. Sephiroth looked at a long vine that led up to the platform where the Turks had stood, then leapt up to the ledge. "Okay, get yourselves up here; we're going to Junon."
OWAN: I'd like to thank all of our reviewers once again. I questions asked in reviews will be answered to the best of my ability and inclination, see you next Twilight!