Fan Boy 101: Ah! My most avid reviewer! I tried to update soon, at least. If you like this, then you'll love the next chapter.
Sharlea North: Well, I'm glad "you likey."
Michell: Well...thanks, I guess.
A Flaming Moon: No, not all of them will die. Muahahahaha! Just kidding. I don't plan on killing off many people, but that may change. And about Shae...you read my mind. She's definitely different. You got what you asked for in this chapter, but I'm afraid it'll be too much.
"This shining city built of gold
A far cry from innocence
There's more than meets the eye round here
Look to the waters of the deep
A city of evil"
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Cher Degre sat behind a table covered with tracking instruments. Odd blips and flashing lights disrupted the silence every few seconds.
"We need all this crap to find a frickin' flower?" one soldier asked, earning himself a sharp reprimand from his commander.
"Our orders are to bring back the target with detectable life signs. If this 'crap' is what it takes for me to get paid, I don't really see any problem with it."
Cher interrupted. "Unit B says that Jagara's WolfOps have located Cheza," she reported to the captain of the airship. "Apparently they're closer than we are."
"Increase speed to 220 knots," the captain ordered.
"220 knots, sir."
One of the instruments turned red and beeped loudly. Several dots on the holographic screen flashed.
"Bank left, make it hard!" the captain shouted. The airship tilted almost vertically in an instant.
The ship came out of the clouds. Directly below was one of Jagara's own, gleaming black and red.
The weapons commander turned to his captain, who shook his head.
"Stand down, Commander. If they were going to shoot at us, they would've done it by now. When they make the first move on the target, we'll shoot 'em out of the sky. Stay alert."
"You had better be right, Captain."
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"I hate that sound."
"C'mon, Tsume, you should be used to it by now."
Shaera looked up. She hated it too. More of the things—that's just what they needed. She grimaced at the thought.
"You alright, Shaera?" Toboe asked.
Oh yeah. She was peachy. And to top it off, she had an awful headache. It wasn't helping, either. In fact, it was getting worse.
By the time they were level with the airships, Shaera's head felt like it was going to explode. She could hardly keep up with the others, when most of the time she was the fastest of them all.
Within seconds the pain reached the point of being ear-splitting. Shaera could have sworn she felt her skull crack. The earth, however, did crack, and as she fell beneath it the crevice sealed itself again.
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Shaera awoke to a minor headache. She realized the ground beneath her was soft and grassy, not rocky like the kind she'd just been standing on.
Suddenly thirsty, she licked her fangs and was surprised to notice the slightly metallic taste on her tongue. Blood tastes metallic, right?
She raised a paw to her mouth to lick it, stopped cold, and set it lightly back on the ground.
What the hell…?
Shaera flexed her claws.
My claws?
They were silver. Bright silver, reflecting the sunlight, they shone like steel.
But the moon had been out when she was with the others.
She snapped her jaws and heard the sharp click of metal on metal.
-Pretty, aren't they?-
Shaera wasn't surprised to see Varah standing in front of her, fiery fur gleaming.
-They are nice,- Shaera admitted. -Mind telling me what they're for?-
-You assume there's a catch?- Varah asked innocently.
-There's always a catch.-
-Not this time. You get a lucky break, Shaera.-
The white she-wolf tried to look offended. -I was trying to be serious.-
Varah sighed. -All right. There is a catch. But,- she added, seeing the look on Shaera's face, -you don't have to worry about it until you make it back here.- She paused.
-And?-
-And you only get the shiny things because you're a…hm, what would the wolves call you?...a demigod. A direct descendant of the first wolf.-
-Oh, gee. That's great. More for me to deal with.-
-And now you have to leave. I know it's a lot to bear,- she said gently. -You'll get through it.-
-Easy for you to say.-
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"Where'd she go?" Kai asked suddenly. They'd managed to lose the airships in a crowded city.
"I could have sworn she was right behind me," Blue agreed.
"Behind you? Well, that tells you there's a problem with her."
"Shut up, Hige." Blue sighed. "But you're right. She's always at the front of the pack."
Rathara closed her eyes. "I don't know where she is. I can't contact Varah, either."
"Do you think there's a chance they could be together?" Kiba asked.
Rathara blinked. "I don't know. As far as Varah's told me, she's never transported a living being."
"So she's transported a dead one?" Tsume said sarcastically.
"Well, yes."
Awkward silence.
"Um…so she's like the Grim Reaper or something?"
"She guides the dead wolves to…wherever they go. No one is allowed to know where that is," Rathara explained.
"Oh."
They walked on in silence until they reached the center of the city. There was not a soul in sight, and it was eerily quiet.
"That can't be good."
They all scattered as a torrent of gunfire came from every direction.
Even as they did so, each of them realized it really came to no point. None of them knew where or if they would meet up with the others.
As they began to run in every possible direction, a sharp howl echoed throughout the empty walls of the falling city. As one they turned north and followed the call.
At this point, the voice of any wolf was an excuse easily taken up. Being with a stranger in the same situation was better than being alone.
The rendezvous point was just outside the city, well within reach of the soldiers. It didn't matter—if any one of the wolves wasn't willing to die for his pack, he didn't deserve Paradise.
They met Shaera, as a human, facing a wall of Jagara's troops alone. One by one, they lined up beside her.
She smiled, silver teeth gleaming, eagerly awaiting the battle.
There's no way I'm letting a human get the better of me in any fight.
The assault began.
They had no problem fighting their way through the first squadron. The second were different; they knew what they were fighting.
"Hey, guys," Kai called. "There's no sense holding back. These guys aren't pretending they don't know."
Shaera's fangs cut through bone like a knife through butter. No, even better. Through water.
It was pure bloodlust that got them all through the fight.
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By the time they'd escaped the last of the troops, every one of the wolves was about to drop where they stood.
To put it lightly, their brawl with the soldiers had been exhausting.
Toboe complained that he could hardly stand.
"Get used to it, kid."
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Sorry to end it like that, guys, but I'm fresh out of ideas. Well, I know what I'll put in the next chapter, but I had nothing else special for this one. Hope you liked it. Please review! Promise I'll update in LESS than two weeks! Lyrics from "Beast and the Harlot" by Avenged Sevenfold.