Chapter 2: The old man and the Flower Maiden

That scent was stronger than ever! He simply had to see it. The young wolf dashed rapidly toward the entrance to the Noble's Keep, his footfalls kicking up the fresh dew from the lush grass along the path. He had been traveling for the past three days, and his gorgeous black fur was now matted with dirt and burs from the forests in the surrounding area. Ordinarily his inbred vanity would forbid him from showing his face in such a condition, but if his suspicion was correct than his joy would far outweigh his shame. He continued running, the distance between he and that marvelous scent was slowly closing, and a lustful excitement he'd never felt before was coursing through his veins.

As he neared the entrance, the lone sentry suddenly moved in front of him, regarding him with the cold indifference a man would give to a beast that was neither welcome, nor a threat. With a frustrated sigh the wolf pulled to a stop in front of him, knowing full well what he required. Instantaneously he stood erect, his original wolf form abandoned for the body of a human. He looked down at the gentle slope of his long fingers, and the long black robe he seemed always to picture himself in. His eyes were a beautiful green, which became all the more intense when complemented by the raven-black hair which flowed like water down to his shoulders. He knew that by human standards he was beautiful, but this brought him little joy. His mother had taught him the barbaric flaws of the human body, as well as a healthy respect for the elegance of a handsome wolf, and ever since he was young he found assuming a human appearance to be a disgusting endeavor.

"Very well then, Mr. Tenmei," the guard said, nodding his approval, "Lord Darcia has been waiting for you." Tenmei ignored him, pushing past the sentry and continuing his trek. He ran across the dank interior of the castle, through the rows of enigmatic murals which littered almost every wall, filled with their depictions of fantastic machines and beautiful landscapes. He remembered hearing from a servant that not even the nobles understood their meaning entirely, or something like that, as he had only been listening to ease the boredom he suffered whenever he was forced to come here. At any rate he declined to cast them even a passing glance today, and after a few more minutes of travel finally came to a stop before a magnificent glass cage.

Within the transparent casing was a beautiful woman, floating tranquilly in a fluid which Tenmei assumed to be water. He slowly stepped toward her, completely entranced by the familiar smell of lunar flowers which surrounded her. In her serene sleep she appeared no different than any of the other humans he had encountered. Her pink hair was cut rather short, with bangs long enough to conceal her closed eyes. She was abnormally slender, but this was the only thing that seemed different about her. She appeared to be a human of at least twenty years, yet she possessed the air of a newborn child, and carried the most delicious scent he had ever encountered. He stumbled toward her in a trancelike stupor, pressing his hands to the glass which entombed her as he stared with an awestruck expression. The emotions he was feeling seemed impossible to express.

"So you like her then, do you?" a hoarse whisper rose from behind him. He turned around, fangs bared, and looked upon the hideous countenance of the man behind him.

"Oh, it's you." Tenmei relaxed a little, turning away from the graying, wrinkled mess of a man that was Darcia II. "Aye, I don't know if I can describe how wonderful I find her." The old man smiled, increasing the number of wrinkles which vied for position on his ancient face. He stood before the young wolf as nothing more than an old man, his hunched posture now all that remained of his once noble stance. Despite himself, Tenmei felt sorry for him.

"She is the fleshly embodiment of a lunar flower," Darcia's voice was full of pride as he announced this, as though it were the single moment for which he'd lived his entire life, "My flower maiden, my guide to paradise!" It was all Tenmei could do to avert laughing. He never understood why so many humans, especially among the nobles, thought they could get into paradise. He should think their instincts would warn them of their folly. Paradise was created by and for the wolf, a fact that was well known to all who read the Book of the Moon. Yet today he was in good spirits, and not in the mood to shatter this decrepit noble's delusions of grandeur.

"That seems such a waste of a beautiful specimen like her, though" was all he said in reply.

"Oh?"

"Don't get me wrong, I've never really cared about paradise, nobles, or even lunar flowers. It's just that a tool as useful as this shouldn't be wasted on the likes of you." Tenmei said this in a very casual tone, with not a trace of insult in his voice. The old man furrowed his brow, his thoughts impossible to decipher.

"Do you think I will not reach paradise?"

"I wasn't gonna say it, but since you brought it up, no. I guarantee that if you try you're only reward will be misfortune." Although his narcissistic demeanor gave him a rather brash tongue, Tenmei had to admit that he had never been this frank to the old man before. He figured it must be the intoxicating aroma of the woman behind him, or his impatience for human fools.

Darcia II stood in silence for what seemed an eternity to Tenmei. He tapped his human foot impatiently, and debated submitting to the exhaustion which had suddenly taken root deep in his bones. He was so tired of dealing with the Darcia clan. The old man was insufferably arrogant, foul smelling, and an offense to every sense that Tenmei possessed. What little time he had spent around Darcia's grandson was certainly more tolerable, but last he heard that one had taken leave of his senses for some woman or another and would likely abandon his position as a noble. Either way they were the perfect example of why he hated humans, they were such melodramatic, foolhardy creatures.

"While it pains me to part with your science project," He said at last, losing his patience with the old man. "I'm terribly dirty, and I fear if I don't bathe soon my coat will lose its beautiful shine. I'll return on the night of the blood moon, in six months time. That was when you wanted my help right? Who knows, maybe you'll prove me wrong. Of course, should you manage to get into paradise you'll certainly make it a less appealing place." The old man continued his silent musings, so with a grin and a shrug Tenmei turned to leave.

Darcia II listened as the wolf's footsteps grew faint. Tears had stricken his withered eyes, and for the first time since he had completed her, he looked up at the flower maiden.

"Is it truly impossible, Cheza?" he asked, suddenly feeling the weight of his age, "Even if it is, can I abandon my plans? I am not long for this world, and even my six hundred years of life have not prepared me for the abyss of death. I must reach paradise. You understand, don't you? It is a matter of necessity." He walked over to his armchair, collapsing heavily into it. From within the glass, the flower maiden had begun to sing. The sweet melody served to ease his pain for a moment, and he slipped into an uneasy rest.