It had been a few days since Arcanine and Screech left the collapsed 5th laboratory. They had entered a town called Dublith, hoping that it would be safe enough to stay in for a while. She had also been tracking a state alchemist whom she saw leaving the fifth lab just before the explosion. When the he and his brother got on a train, Arcanine decided to follow them. However by the time she got there, they were already gone. She and Screech would need to eat, and the easiest thing to catch other than mice was birds. Sure they could eat mice, but as a dog, birds would have tasted much better. She picked up the smell of some pigeons, the most common bird around here. She got close, then using her superior speed lunged at them, catching a very plump one by the wing. Screech was too small to hunt pigeons, so Arcanine shared her kill with him.
She was about to get going when she sensed that something was nearby by. The smell wasn't human, it was canine like her, but something told her that whoever it was would be a threat. She picked up Screech, and ran as fast as she could, until she hit a dead end. Luckily there was some scaffolding that she could climb up. Arcanine climbed up the scaffolding, but felt something grab her by the leg. It was another dog chimera, but Arcanine wanted nothing to do with him. Screech let go of her tail and flew at his face, causing him to let go of her. Screech hopped back into her tail as she ran up the scaffolding across the rooftops. But the other dog chimera had not given up.
"Get back here", he yelled, but Arcanine paid him no attention. She continued to run, but one misstep sent her and Screech crashing to the ground. Surprisingly, neither of them were severely hurt, other than a gash in Arcanine's arm. She gripped her injured arm tightly, knowing she had nowhere else to run. "Thought you could get away, didn't you", the other chimera said. Arcanine growled at him silently, breathing out small embers as a warning. "What's wrong, cat got your toungue", he mocked. This just made Arcanine angrier, and she lunged at him, fire around her hand turning into claws. This caused him to move out of the way, allowing the two to escape. She was able to find a small crevice that only she and Screech could fit in. When the other chimera found her, she snarled silently and the fur on her tail spiked up. He eventually left her alone.
A few hours later Arcanine emerged from her hiding place, with Screech now curled up in her tail fur. After the fight with the other chimera she felt stronger, faster, deadlier. "So you're the chimera who attacks with fire", she heard a voice say. The person looked human, but Arcanine's other senses told her otherwise. He had a tattoo of dragon eating its tail on his hand, and it was this tattoo that brought back painful memories. She had seen several others with the same tattoo come into the fifth lab every now and then. The ones she saw were nothing but cruel to the chimeras, and she hated them as much as she hated the researchers. Arcanine assumed this man was one of them, and decided to attack. She got down on all fours and lunged at him, but she was thrown back with ease.
Screech flew at him, attempting to bite him. However he was unfazed by this. A black substance began to cover his hand and wrist, almost like armor. He tried to attack Screech, but Arcanine jumped in the way, taking the full force of the blow. "Defending your allies, a good trait", he said. His next attack was too fast for even Arcanine's amazing speed to overcome. She found herself pinned against a wall, and began to thrash violently, desperate to escape. She eventually gave up, knowing she was fighting a losing battle. Then why didn't he attack her again? In her weakened state he could have easily killed her, so why didn't he? "You also expect punishment with failure, another good trait", he sneered.
Was he just toying with her? Was he trying to make her let her guard down? If not then what was he planning? It didn't make sense, any other human or non-chimera would've killed her the first time they saw her. So why was he showing her mercy? "I want you to join my little gang", he said, "the name's Greed. Arcanine tilted her head to the side, as if not understanding completely. "So, you have a name or something", he asked. She nodded before running off to find the nameplate from the lab. Luckily she had brought it with her, though she had kept it hidden. She came back with the nameplate and placed it in front of Greed. "So your name's Arcanine", he asked. She nodded, breathing out small embers to show her pride. So from then on, Arcanine and Screech decided to stick with Greed.
Author's Note: chapter 2 is finished and chapters 3 and 4 should be coming out soon after. A heads up, in chapter 3, a new chimera will be making its appearance.