First fic, so don't take it seriously, and normal disclaimer follows:
I do NOT claim ownership or influence of any kind of Wolf's Rain or their characters, Bones and Bandai does. And yes I am updating as quickly as I can
Chapter 5
It took us less than a day to get out of that tunnel; the burst of fresh air was like breathing in heaven after being in what smelled like a tomb.
The sunlight was blinding, that even looking down caused my eyes to tear up. We jumped out of the tunnel into a shallow pond if you would call it that, it came up to our knees at the deepest and we waded onto the shore, where the pine and fir trees are thick.
"How far did we go?" I ask out loud, astounded by the size of the trees.
Toboe is as amazed by the scenery as I am and both of us are constantly looking around.
"Hey pup!" Hige yells to Toboe, for the third time that day. "if you keep slacking, we're leaving you behind."
Toboe rushes to catch up with the rest again.
"What are you doing up there?" Hige asks me when he sees me in the branches.
"Just taking the trail that doesn't leave tracks," I reply. "I get a little bit of a better view than being down there."
"Hey," Toboe remarks, when he's right behind the others again. "doesn't this forest seem a little weird?" he asks, looking around. "I don't see any animals,"
Now that he mentioned it, it does, no birds, not even the darting, scratching of mouse-feet. I freeze something is very wrong.
"Don't you understand what you are?" Hige sighs hanging his head despairingly. "They probably all ran away after they saw us," the brown wolf explains.
"Ah, I see," Toboe brightens, realizing his place in the food chain.
"This is why city kids are all…" Hige starts.
"But ever since we got out of that cave, I can't smell the flower at all," Toboe replies worriedly. I slip from my current branch, barely grabbing the one beneath me. "I wonder if this is really the right place."
From my perch I see Kiba and Tsume nearly walking on top of each other.
"Can I ask you something?" Tsume says somewhat annoyed.
"Sure," is the taciturn reply.
"Where are we going right now?"
"To Paradise," Kiba answers dutifully.
Tsume seems unsatisfied with the answer and probes a bit deeper. "And what's leading us there?" his eyes reveal his boredom and frustration.
Kiba gives his usual one word answer. "Instinct."
I roll my eyes. This white wolf was getting too predictable.
"I knew it," Hige sighs, scratching his head. "Although it'd be nice if it actually felt like we're getting closer."
"Uh, guys" I interrupt the conversation from my perch. "I'm think we might be closer than you think." the drone of an airship starts whining into my ears, causing my head to throb madly.
"That's," Tsume starts to say when he looks up
"An airship," Hige finishes the dark gray wolf's thoughts. "It must be those nobles."
"I don't like the sound of this," Toboe remarks, covering his ears.
I see a small airship, hover and glide across the fogged sky. I look down then glance back up, "Holy!" I yell, seeing a military airship come into view behind the clouds. To say that it was big was an understatement, it made the noble's single-manned craft look like a harmless toy.
"What?" Tsume asks. "what happened?"
I was about to answer, when I hear laser cannons take aim at the ship, streaking the sky a vibrant red while the tiny ship dodges around the blasts. Many of which explode further off in the forest, charring some of the trees. The ground shakes, knocking me off my branch. I hit the ground knocking the wind out of me. Toboe is holding onto Hige's shirt, trying to hide behind him, Kiba and Tsume are watching the aerial battle in amazement.
"What's this?" Toboe asks, finally looking up.
"They're sure showing off," Hige states glancing up in confusion.
Kiba just stares, from my position on the ground he's looking at the sky, not just the battle, like he's found something.
"She's there," he breathes, just loud enough to where I can make it out over the random blasts.
I pry myself off the ground, my head and back aching badly. I peer up just in time to see the white wolf rush off further into the woods.
"Wait!" Tsume calls out. "This isn't something we should interfere with." trying to talk some sense to Kiba, which at this moment was like trying to convince a rock that it's a marshmallow.
"I can feel it," Kiba replies, still looking up to the skies as he's walking away.
"Feel what?" Hige asks, looking at Kiba in concern. Toboe just is simply confused.
"I don't know, I just know, somehow" Kiba tries to explain then turns to us wildly. "Can't you guys feel anything," he demands angrily, then rushes off.
"Kiba!" Tsume yells after him.
Toboe glances to Hige again "Can you feel it?" he asks, trying to make sense of what's happening
"He just can't be helped, can he?" the brown wolf sighs, then rushes after Tsume who had just left.
I hear the voice come to me again, this time stronger than I've ever felt it.
"You came, but you're still the same. You find, can you see the same kind? You follow, will you walk again tomorrow?" it asks, and I snap my head in the direction the voice came.
"Did you hear it?" I demand excitedly, looking at everyone, their faces puzzled faces give the answer clearly, they heard nothing, I glance back to where Kiba ran off to, and run after him.
I'm running, hoping to find the voice, to find Cheza. Toboe and Hige are right behind me, Tsume is nearly five or six furlongs ahead of me. "Can you see Kiba?" I shout after him.
"Kiba!" the gray wolf shouts to his packmate desperately. I catch a glimpse of a spark floating down from the sky.
"Cheza," I murmur in realization, and instantly I start sprinting, despite the multiple cuts and scratches on my bare feet. The cuffs of my pants are frayed and shredded mess of threads, cockleburs and mud.
"Wait up!" Toboe yells behind me.
We keep running until the mountain wall greets us stubbornly with it's sheer rugged granite height.
"Great," I pant sarcastically, and lean on the craggy wall for support. "I'm guessing we're climbing the rest of the way?" I ask, looking at the weathered rocky ledges.
Kiba nods, and instantly jumps to the first available ledge the mountain has to offer.
I narrow my eyes determinedly and run up the walls, knocking loose rocks out of place as I do. The process continues until the ledges are beyond my height to run or jump up to. I have to settle for climbing after a while, the rest begin climbing as well.
Hige smells the air. "It's coming from above," he comments in frustration. "it's faint, but never the less."
"Hige," I yell at him. "the flower's scent has been coming from above ever since we started climbing up this god forsaken chunk of rock, tell us something we don't know!"
Kiba just starts climbing faster at the news.
"Why are you getting all serious for," Tsume asks, trying to find a decent handhold.
"But it kinda stinks of a noble too," Hige adds, the wind tugging his yellow shirt wildly.
"A noble?" Tsume asks looking back at Hige.
"Duh," I snort, finding my foothold and scamper up a few feet ahead of Hige. "a noble stole her, of course she's gonna smell like one."
"Hey, Kiba," Toboe yells out, as he grabbing one of the narrow ledges. "My heart's getting all itchy for some reason," he says looking down embarrassed and surprise. "Is this what you were talking about?"
Kiba gives him a silent but nonetheless approving nod. "Let's go."
I continue to keep ahead of Hige for the rest of the climb, though just barely. The closer we get, the more questions ramble into my head.
Why me, I'm no wolf, hell, I'm not even a dog. What on earth am I doing? What does she want from me? Why does she keep on talking to me, why can't the others hear her? Will she like me?
That last one catches me off guard and I shake my head clear, and I see the military airship land at one of the old docking systems on the castle.
"Let's move people," I call out to everyone urgently, and again scamper up past a few ledges, until I'm almost past Tsume's level.
At least twenty minutes later we are at the top.
I'm panting again from the climb and shudder.
"That was insane," I mutter, "We are not taking this route down, Kiba."
"Aww, it wasn't that bad," Hige remarks cheerfully, "it was only-"
"Hige, stop talking," I growl, backing away from the ledge.
"What?" he protests, "all I was gonna say was-"
"I know what you were going to say, Hige," I snarl, interrupting him again "and I'm telling you not to say it."
"Why not?!" the brown wolf asks, stretching his arms.
"I know it's big, however, I don't want to know just how big." I mutter
Tsume glances over at me questioningly. "You've never really seemed to be one afraid of heights."
"I love heights," I reply easily. "I love climbing up, it's getting me down that scares the hell out of me."
"That seems kinda silly," Hige says from behind me.
"Silly or not, it's fact." I retort and follow after Kiba.
The walk is easier than the climb, vines and moss hang heavily from the dead tree limbs and covering the ancient rocks.
"I'm not sure why, but my heart is beating so fast." Toboe remarks, a dreamy look coming over his face. "and I'm also getting hot."
"You have a fur coat underneath that skin," I tease. "so, that's not really surprising."
"It's the kind of excitement you feel before being embraced by a lovely girl." Hige sighs, looking out wistfully.
"And you are such a flirt," I shake my head.
"Don't get reckless," Tsume scowls, then looks away muttering. "although it really is kind of exciting."
I laugh out loud not caring if I was going to get knocked down later. "That's not anything new. Considering you can't live without a challenge, can you?"
Tsume glares at me, but I see the outline of a smirk spark his gold eyes.
"What about you?" Toboe asks looking at me curiously.
"Honestly, this is scaring the hell out of me, but the curiosity is murdering me right now."
"Curiosity kills the cat," Hige states cheerfully.
"But satisfaction brought it back," I return grinning at him.
Tsume shakes his head at us just as we come into a large clearing with several sculpted waterfalls dropping into a small lake. I nearly swallow my breath. on one of the rocks in the water is Cheza. I stare like at her like an idiot, Toboe's jaw drops open at the sight, I hear Kiba's breath come out in ragged disbelief. It's a moment before Cheza looks at us. Her red eyes shimmer in a friendly light. I shrink down and hide behind Tsume, not wanting to be seen.
"She's there," Hige says trying to convince himself the reality that we're all in. "She's really there."
"I think I'm in love," Toboe confirms, his bracelets rattling.
"Who is she?" Tsume asks, making me jump slightly at the question. I hear water splash from the lake and I peer over Tsume's shoulder to see Cheza had moved from her rock and was now standing in the water, her head cocked curiously while her short lilac colored hair is swaying gently in the slight breeze. I duck down behind the lean leather clad man again.
"Not scared are you?" he asks mockingly.
"I'm not scared," I growl at him. "I'm absolutely terrified."
Kiba walks towards Cheza, causing all of us to turn to him.
"Wait!" Tsume calls out desperately.
Kiba ignores it and keeps walking and wades into the water. And I swear when he stops, everything stopped moving. The wind, the ripples in the water, my own breath just stopped in my throat.
"Cheza," he greets her calmly.
I let the rest of my breath out, like I'd been holding it for a year. I decide to step out from Tsume's shadow and watch what was happening. That's when I saw the Flower Maiden smiling as she stroked Kiba's soft thick fur before hugging him.
"This one has finally found you," I hear her whisper. I have no doubt now that she's been the one speaking in my dreams.
"That must feel so good," Toboe sighs longingly.
"Is that really?" Tsume asks, still not able to believe this.
"Yep," Hige confirms, "That's the Flower Maiden."
Cheza takes Kiba's hand and both of them walk up one of the hills, looking almost like one of the cheesy scenes in a chick flick, then turns around waving to us.
"This way," she calls out cheerfully, "This way."
"The Flower Maiden," Hige comments following after them. "That's Cheza alright."
"She's a flower, but a maiden at the same time," Toboe joins in. "That's kind of weird."
I keep a pace behind Tsume again, unsure if I want to meet her just yet.
"Well there's a story that some bored noble made her from a Lunar flower in a lab somewhere," Hige explains, rubbing his collar.
"A human made from a flower?" Tsume scoffs disbelievingly as we pass over a low bridge. "Do you really believe that story?"
"Well, she's right in front of my eyes," Hige laughs.
"Yeah," Toboe agrees eagerly.
"It's kind of hard not to believe a legend when you're walking among them," I pipe up.
"She smells really good," Toboe remarks suddenly. "just like a flower."
"Is that what a Lunar flower smells like?" I ask, before inhaling the fascinating scent.
"Even so," Tsume remarks stubbornly. "I refuse to believe it."
Step out from the shadows and some are still blind. I say to myself.
"Even after you find her irresistible?" Toboe asks skeptically.
"I believe it," Hige announces easily.Both me and Tsume look over at him slightly shocked, in my opinion that was one of the last things I would expect to hear from the brown wolf. "just think about it, it's true that Kiba brought us here through pure instinct right?" he explains, unconcerned with our reaction. "Even if this is some huge coincidence, I'm getting the feeling that we're closer to Paradise now."
I nod, his explanation did make sense.
"Well, whatever it is, she's not really my type, unfortunately."
"Well, after running into you guys, I'm inclined to rely on legends and anything else," I agree.
We continue to follow Kiba and Cheza from a distance as we enter inside the half collapsed buildings. I jump to the roofs taking an unusual route for a moment. Then instinct returns, I look out and see a small group of soldiers outside in a nearby building, coming towards us, rifles ready.
I start heading towards them out of curiosity, are they searching for that noble? I ask myself.
I watch from a distance, trying to figure out what they're after, they're well trained, better trained than most common soldiers. Their steps are quiet and well placed, and their weapons are positioned and controlled. I take a small rock, about the size of Toboe's fist and throw it. It lands with a soft thud landing in the grass some place in the distance. The soldiers shoot at where the rock lands exactly then stop to locate the body.
"These guys are elites," I whisper. And start running back to the others.
I jump back down through the many holes in the ceiling.
"We gotta go," I yell to them urgently. "now," unfortunately, my voice also attracts the gunfire of another nearby group of soldiers.
Hige and Toboe rush after where I hope Kiba is, the gunfire follows us down the halls, some of it chipping off mortar from the walls and floor, nipping my heels at times.
"Aich!" I yelp when a bullet explodes an inch beneath my foot.
"Kiba," Hige yells to our leader. "it doesn't look too good, I smell humans everywhere!"
"And what am I?" I joke nervously from the entrance "chopped sushi?"
"We're trapped," Toboe exclaims. Tsume races around the corner, his eyes narrow towards Cheza's crouched figure.
Cheza turns to us, her liquid eyes wide open. And Tsume's suddenly looks uncertain.
Kiba steps in front of the Flower Maiden defensively. "No, that's not it," he says fiercely.
"Now's not the time for that," Toboe scolds, the two grown men, "we have to hurry up and escape."
"I don't care who starts it," I snarl. "but I'll knock both of you flat."
"Escape, we're trapped, you know?" Hige retorts. "Where can we go?"
Cheza stands up unworriedly and heads further into the building, Kiba follows after her wordlessly.
"Where are you going?" Tsume demands, reaching out for Kiba.
"I told you it's dangerous over there!" Hige repeats desperately as the four of us watch the Flower Maiden and the white wolf walk off.
"What should we do?" Toboe asks looking to the rest of us.
"Like we have a choice?!" Tsume grumbles and turns back to where we came from.
"Man," Hige mutters worriedly. "That Kiba is really out of his mind." then follows after Tsume.
Toboe is at a complete loss at deciding where to go.
"Toboe," I tell him. "go with Kiba, tell him that these soldiers are elites." I rush after the Hige and Tsume. I take to the roofs again, watching the grace and ease of the two wolves beneath me as they attack several soldiers, Tsume is living up to his name, knife and claws cutting through their body armor like it was paper.
"Somebody's attacking," one of the soldiers yells into his two-way radio. Hige lands behind him, and snatches the thing away before Hige drives his claws into his throat.
I spot group of six soldiers poised over the entrances, ready to shoot, I grin and rush them from behind, keeping my pace silent and swift. Two of them plummet over the roof's edge, The other four turn to me, somewhat surprised. I draw my knives, throwing one into the chest of one of them that forgot to pick his gun up. The other two open fire on me. Instinct guides me, weaving and dodging past the bullets. I stab another in the calf, and swing up and around, still holding onto my knife. I give a sharp upwards kick and hear a sick, but satisfying snap, I get a glimpse of the soldier long enough to know that I had just broken his neck. The remaining soldier takes his chance and fires on me I howl, the sound surprises him and I go under his gun barrel and my knife slashes over his throat.
I glance around quickly at the scattered soldiers lying around me. I don't feel the wave of nausea, or any kind of weakness that most people feel when having killed for the first time, instead pull my knives free as I feel a sort of pride overwhelm me, proud that I had proven better than them, proud to be alive.
What am I? I ask silently, before jumping to the ground, where Tsume and Hige are.
"What were you doing?" Tsume demands as he rushes towards another regiment of soldiers.
"Helping you guys," I answer, shaking my blades free of the blood, knowing the action is useless. Tsume claims another soldier with a vicious uppercut from his knife before leaping away. I jump the walls landing atop of another both my knives stab down into his neck. Hige takes the rest from behind.
We race into another open room and find ourselves bombarded by gunfire like it's rain.
Hige dives behind a wall amazed at the number. Tsume shoves me behind the wall as well.
"Gah!" Hige shouts to us over the rounds of bullets. "There's so many of them!"
"Let's try the other way, shall we?" I ask glancing back at the barricade of rifles, and running into the adjoining hall. Tsume joins up with me in a flash. Hige's pace is slightly panicked.
"These guys are elites," I inform them hastily, "I'm actually surprised you didn't have a hard time with the ones we did run into." I whip around the corner and kick the legs out from under another soldier, Tsume finishes the action with his blade. He nods in approval and he races back to where we had left Kiba,
"Let's take the roofs," I suggest, "they're safer, trust me." I feel myself starting to tire but I make it to the roofs. Tsume pops up from a large hole in front of me I skid, trying to keep from running into him I'm back on the ground shaking my head.
"Wolves," I mutter, and continue from where I'm at.
"Hey, Kali, what's wrong?" Hige asks from the top.
"I can't get up again," I answer blatantly, which was true. Getting to the top was sapping my endurance, and I didn't need to waste what I had left of it. I prepare to turn at the next hall, and find myself jerked back and hauled onto someone's shoulder, and before I can react, the guy skyrockets into the air, me along with him. My fingernails dig into the leather jacket, gripping it tightly. I had never had that happen to me, and I don't want to experience it again.
Tsume pries me off his shoulder, while I'm trying to calm down from the ride.
"Tsume," I growl, jabbing my finger at him. "don't you ever do that again."
"Let's go," He replies, running off quickly, as if my threat had been nothing more than mentioning the weather.
We have no further problems with the soldiers until we rejoin with Kiba, Toboe, and Cheza. One of the soldiers shoots, trying to follow Kiba's movements with his gun, a waste of time Kiba brings him down as he lands behind him. Two others are firing further down the hall, a knife's throw away in my case, Hige and Tsume both prepare to jump them from behind. I take my knife out, I grin and aim my blade for the one beneath Tsume, my knife hits just before Tsume lands on top of him. I grin, somewhat smugly at just taken his kill.
"That was mine!" he hollers at me.
"That was payback," I retort, coming over to the soldier and pulling my blade out of his neck. While Hige wipes his hands off. "now we're even."
The three of us jump down to where Kiba's group is.
"That's dangerous," Hige reports, "That side's surrounded."
"What are you going to do?" Tsume asks Kiba, "if we leave her here, we can escape."
Kiba looks at him in shock before giving his reply. "No!" his shout lashes back fiercely.
"Hey, guys!" Toboe calls to us, waving from the entrance of another adjoining hallway before he disappears inside.
The four of us follow after him, stopping when we see Cheza.
"This way," she tells us calmly, continuing down the hall.
"Well, she certainly knows where she's going," I comment lightly.
Kiba wordlessly follows her, Tsume and I bound off instantly. Toboe and Hige trail after us. I hear gunfire from up ahead instinctively crouch down, Kiba punches the guy out and we continue again.
The next room Cheza leads us to is the remnants of a private indoor garden, tree roots are twisted into the walls and floor, while some of the trunks are completely hidden from view.
"What is this?" Hige demands, looking around the dead end.
"It's no use." The pup remarks, staring at the room. "This place is completely blocked off."
"You want to try surrendering?" Hige asks glancing back to the entrance. His question earns a cold glare from Tsume and a quick snarl from me. "ah, I'm just kidding," he holds his hands up in mock defense.
"If you can't find a way, make one," I snap, running over to one of the walls, tugging at some of the looser roots. "That's the thieves' method."
"Over here," Cheza calls out again, and I can swear by every god that has been known, that there was not a hole in any of the walls when we came in the room, but I was seeing Cheza standing beside one now.
"Was there a hole there before?" Toboe whispers, looking over at us.
Kiba follows Cheza again, and something creaks from where the hole is.
"Something just moved," Toboe says taking a step back from the escape route.
"Well, it really doesn't matter," Hige sighs, rubbing the back of his head and plunges in after Kiba. "let's go."
Toboe rushes after him, before turning back to us.
"Come on!" he tells us. I nod in reply and trail after him. Tsume brushes by me a moment later, just as I hear the roots groan, sealing us in the shadows.