1 year later
The savage roar of the gigantic brute shattered any tepid atmosphere of the forest. From the foliage of trees above, birds leapt into the air, thin clouds of black and brown dispersing into the blue above. The hulking, ebony shaded mass of the bear rose above forest brush, her monolithic frame shifting around in a furious search for her enemies. The two darted craftily beneath shade and tree of the expansive wilderness, their slim physiques well disguised in the feral arena. Caelius and Muir met behind the creature, both sets of ears and tails erect and their eyes alight in sardonic amusement.
The bear scented the air and instantaneously swerved behind, a gigantic, heavily clawed paw swooping down against their shield of bush, slicing and parting it with one strong blow. Both wolves had leapt in different directions, a flash of white to the left, ruddy brown to the right. Cael's orange eyes shot up to the behemoth, but her attention was upon her sister. The bear had turned, dragging her immense paw with the motion as to smack Muir, and Cael's svelte white frame vaulted from the grassy earth right atop the furry shoulders of the bear. The bear gave another infuriated roar as her lethal white fangs took an immediate grip upon her fleshy nape, the thick fur in her mouth tickling at her throat and testing her gag reflex.
Muir's deep reddish brown, wolfen profile halted and she leapt at the bear as it raised its formerly busy paw in reach of the white wolf upon her back. Muir's fangs caught the pad of the bear, the taste of dirt and leathery flesh on her tongue, but no blood was drawn from the tough exterior. She could not puncture it, unable to apply so much pressure while dangling midair. The bear bellowed in her deep, guttural vocalizations and with great force, swung her arm backwards. Muir's grip slipped and her sinuous frame flew through the air, paws twisting madly in an attempt to land unscathed. Cael felt herself involuntarily retch and immediately let go of the bear's nape, gagging again and falling from her backside. The metallic taste of blood was absent from her mouth.
"Damn it," Cael cursed as Muir hit the earth behind her, staggering, but on her paws. She averted the searching paws of the furious bear, leaping back to her sister's side. Muir turned around, ears twisting forward as the two sisters watched the bear readjust her attention, her beady eyes falling upon themselves.
"Not worth it?" Muir asked, her vivid emerald gaze fearfully watching the enraged bear, the two wolves backing up in heed of her opening jaws.
"Fuck that," Cael replied, her sleek muzzle developing a vexed snarl, fangs unveiling themselves threateningly. Muir's expression followed in suit and the bear charged for them. The two pivoted, sprinting in a circle from her claws as the bear staggered in their wake.
"Well then think of something," Muir growled hastily and Cael glanced up. A sick bolt of fear shocked her heart as the bear's paw came at them again, this time narrowly missing Muir. The white wolf readied herself to dodge, but failed; the air burst from her lungs, through her mouth as ungodly pain struck her side, feeling cracking in her ribs. She hit the ground and rolled with the force, the sheer intensity propelling her several feet across the grassy terrain. She heard the bear give a higher yell, the obvious cry of pain intertwined in the angry bellow. Vision spinning madly, she opened her eyes to see the bear rise her head into the air, ruddy blood dripping madly and staining her sister's profile as she hung from the bear's nose, fangs nestled right into the sides of the septum.
Pain throbbed furiously in her right side, but Cael heaved herself upon her paws and swayed. The angry throb in her side nearly made her sick. The bear was shaking her head, but Muir was fastened tight - until she swatted at the wolf with a massive paw. The white wolf watched her sister's dark ruddy fur bristle angrily and her eyes clench with pain, five, thin lines sliced into her side. The other paw rose and struck, this time knocking Muir ungracefully from her hold. She yelped as she fell against the earth, and Cael bristled over with anger.
Muir had scrambled to her paws and narrowly dodged the oncoming swipe of another paw, but the bear was quick. She advanced upon them, and both wolves made to run. Cael's gait was hindered by a limp, and Muir circled back to the bear. She lunged and snapped at a back leg, nipping at flesh and fur that was thinner at the ankle. The bear gave a snarl, and Cael turned around and followed her sister in such pursuit. The familiar perfume of her sister's blood was now freshly wafting in the air, dribbled, small puddles dotting in Muir's wake.
Rounds of snapping and chase, they had figured out a pattern. The bear couldn't reach what was behind her, and whence she turned, they would be in line, biting at her back paws until they were specking blood onto the grass. Finally, the bear was withdrawing from her offensive combat. Malice-laced eyes watched as the bear gave small groans of defeat, backing away and hastily shuffling throughout the brush, using her massive paws to tear apart brush and shrub. She was looking for the prize that had spawned the fight. Her cub was off crying not far away.
"Next time it happens, no pussying out. Either we kill it or it kills us," Cael spat, her voice choked with aggravation as the bear disappeared into the forest. Both wolves had taken off in opposing direction, Cael's limp still apparent.
"Not like we had much choice," Muir growled in reply.
"So then I guess we die," Cael argued, "better than living as cowards."
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The light of the sun gave what little warmth it could to Freeze City, washing over the stone buildings with flaxen that only gave the decrepit appearance sparse color. It made nothing look nicer – friendlier maybe, but the humans quickly took to destroying that minor impression. The marketplace buzzed with crowded human activity. Vendors selling F grade food, people sleeping under ragged blankets. Although not incredibly fond of their species, Hige's heart still went out to the variety of small children living such a hard life on the street.
Just woken, stirred by some internal clock which recognized daylight, even if Hige himself did not, the dust hued wolf strolled through the crowds in his human guise, beneath the airy cotton fabric of his canary yellow hoodie and loose, light azure sweatpants. Though not out of the ordinary – how ironic – the wolf was still offered several looks of either contempt or confusion; it was uncommon for someone who looked healthy and bore vibrant clothing to frequent the aisles of the city. He had been in town for a while: his face was seen often, and no longer regarded as a foreigner, he was assumed one of the richer inhabitants.
But still, for that reason – probably another – girls his age strutted about as he passed by, offering their winks or come hither looks. Although great for the ego, it only spread the poisonous ennui Hige felt each day. Getting involved with humans was a bad idea. A very bad idea.
The wolf side stepped passerby and began his meander through the less crowded streets of the city. Those meant for cars but more usually used by humans. The reason he had come to the city was still blatant, and he already had pursued the enticing aroma to the furthest he could. The lab was shut off, impossible to get into without causing uproar. Chaos with humans was something he did his best to avoid, even if it meant sacrificing painful curiosity. And even still that thirst could not be quenched.
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A vile, rotten city so decrepit from human hand that even wolves took shelter among the disgrace of humanity. And worse – appealing to them, becoming them. They were no better than the humans themselves, the fallen mutts pretending to be one among the soulless shadows. Kiba's hind leg throbbed with a reoccurring anger and pain as he limped through the alleys littered with seedy humans, living on the streets. It was where they belonged, on the streets of their precious cities.
On cue, the elusive, returning reeking stench of foreign toxins and that bitch's domesticated scent pulled from the shifting crowds. The hunter's gun clicked and Kiba whirled his head around, a feral yellow eye snapping upon the scene of the snarling, ebony dog and the rifle-baring man standing in the center of the alley. Terrified humans either dodged him or flattened against the walls, staring with wide eyes and protecting their kin. The dog sprinted from his side and raced towards him and Kiba twisted his sinuous frame to meet her, tail flagging up in a proud banner, baring his fangs angrily.
The dog vaulted from the stone terrain, her svelte frame midair as the gun shot exploded in the air and a sharp burst of pain shot through his chest. Immediately darkness fogged at the sides of his vision, his entire body thrown backwards with the force of impact. His frame went numb and his consciousness dissipated in sparks of coal.
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A graceful, floral fragrance that had been steadily growing stronger with every step she had taken as she stalked through the city. It swirled and whipped about in the gait of breezes, but never was it fully diminished, the strength seeming to reverberate an anxious fluttering in her stomach, a nostalgic, hopeful pull at her heart. She recognized the feeling, but also noted a strange intensity also pulsating within it.
Chuva's thin, feral frame sat within the snowy tundra, miles from the scent's pull… the dome's head, marked by a jut of twisted bark atop it, sat in place on the horizon, begging her to invade.