Bored, so I wrote the next chapter of King Wolf.
I think this chapter will give a lot more meaning to this fan fiction. Not only do we have a problem with Darcia, but this chapter will also have events that will bring in most of the other main characters. I hope you enjoy. And someone please review this time. Reviews inspire me to continue.
Onto the story. :)
Chapter Two: Escape from the Keep
Kiba sighed. He hadn't returned to the Keep last night. But being in the forest had reawakened his senses again. It was a great feeling. The white wolf looked up. He could hear the guards calling for him. They sounded panicked. People from the cities too. They were worried about him. He snarled a little. Why would they be? He had no idea how much of his life was a lie.
He laid silently in the forest, thinking. Then he froze. Several images had just flashed into his mind. His ears shot up and he looked around. He could feel five minds touching his. Three were wolves. One was a wolf-dog, Blue no doubt. And the last was the flower maiden from his dreams. He normally would have snarled. He didn't like this foreign touch. But he felt like he could trust them.
He saw the purple wolf again in their images. He saw him attack them. Kill them. His father too. But he got a feeling that they were one in the same. They were sad scenes. They made him sad. They were all dying. Like in his dreams. Then he saw himself as he and the purple wolf fought. He saw the flower maiden as she died and the world began again. And water. He could remember the water. He shook his head a little.
They were trying to tell him that Darcia was dangerous. Kiba wasn't really sure how he felt about that. He was still confused. His mind hurt when he thought about it. The five minds retreated. They couldn't feel his mind. They didn't know if he had heard them.
Cheza is the only one who can enter my mind. Kiba thought. They must have used her power.
The white wolf paused. Cheza... he had said Cheza. That's what Blue had said the name of the Flower Maiden was. His head was pounding. But he saw her in his mind. Right now, she was with three wolves. She wore a think white body suit, pink boots, and over her body suit, a pink dress with a hood. Her hair was a purple-pink color. Her eyes were red, with pink irises. She seemed incredibly sad, and she was looking at the ground. Something inside of him clicked slightly. This was Cheza...Cheza...he knew her.
"Cheza..." he whispered. In his mind's eye, she froze and looked up. AT HIM.
Memories suddenly came flooding back to him as she looked at him. Memories of all of his past lives. Of his past packs. Of his past failures. Darcia's spell had finally broken. It was a spell that had held him for too long. His mind was at last ripped free from the spell. But it was painful. He couldn't help it. He howled.
"Kiba!" he heard Cheza cry in his mind. They were close enough to vaguely hear his howl, and the distress in it. They were coming.
Kiba snarled, arching his back and shaking his head. It was painful. But he was glad at last to be free. A twig snapped. The white wolf bristled as he looked up. Across the clearing he saw the purple wolf. Darcia had heard him too. The purple wolf paused, looking at him carefully. Kiba never howled.
"How long were you planning on keeping me here, Darcia?" Kiba snarled. There was contempt in his voice. The Purple wolf paused and then smiled. It was a smile that was all to familiar.
"So, you have awakened after all Kiba." Darcia replied. "A pity. It would have been so much easier if you had remained ignorant. No matter. You will still take me to Paradise."
"I trusted you." Kiba snarled, showing his fangs. "Loved you like a father! But it was all lies! You don't care about me. To you, I'm nothing more than a murderer."
"Of course you are." Darcia replied, his eyes narrowing. "But I raised you. I have changed you. You can't deny that. I love you. Obviously. Or else my fangs would have found you while you were still a helpless pup. My son, I need you help to find Paradise."
"You are a murderer too." Kiba snarled. "But unlike you, I only kill out of need. You are not my father. You killed my pack. And for that I must avenge them. I will not lead you to Paradise, you who cursed it."
"As it cursed me." Darcia snarled in reply, beginning to bristle and snarl just as Kiba was doing the same. The animals watching nearby in the forest shuddered. They had never seen two wolves fight in their short life times. Not here. But they had heard the stories passed down by older animals. "You will lead me to Paradise, even if I must drag you there. I can't remember the path. Just as you can't. But Cheza will not abandon you."
"She was right." Kiba snarled, hoping to provoke him so that he could fight. "Sarai...no Harmona. You are blind. Blind to everything but your hatred and your obsession. They are the only things you love."
"I'll rip your tongue out you yapping pup!" Darcia cried in rage. That was the last straw. He leaped forward with bared fangs. Kiba crouched with a snarl, preparing for him.
He could see the insane gleam once again in Darcia's eyes, though it wasn't as strong as before. Kiba shuddered. But he wasn't afraid. He was angry. Darcia had killed his friends and caused his mission to fail. And he had messed with his memories. Those were unforgivable offenses. Not because he cared for himself. But because he was a wolf. And like all wolves, he cared for his pack more than himself. He leaped out of the way of the larger wolf. His instincts and past memories told him how to attack, though he had never fought another wolf in this life. For a moment, there was silence as the two wolves seized each other up. Then they snarled and leaped forward again.
The air was rent suddenly with the sound of snarls and wolves fighting. Darcia was larger than Kiba. But they seemed evenly matched in strength and speed. The two wolves attacked each other without much vigor, but with a need to take the other down nonetheless. They were still attached to each other. Kiba knew that. But he couldn't quite shake the thought out of his head. They had lived toghether. They weren't sure at first whether they wanted to hurt each other, though any on looker wouldn't be able to tell that. But then memories of his friend's deaths in the life before this one came flooding back to him. Kiba was filled with wrath. He turned, and his fangs found Darcia's flank and dug into it viciously.
Darcia yelped, and then raged burned in his eyes. He snarled and turned. There was no restraint in the wolves' attacks now. He needed Kiba yes, but if Kiba was willing to wound him to escape, then he would be willing to wound him to keep him here. And with the advanced technology of the humans, he could heal the wolf with no problem. His fangs sank deeply into Kiba's right shoulder, giving off the sound of a wet squelch. Kiba yelped, and then the two wolves pulled apart for a moment. They snarled a moment, watching each other. Kiba tried his best to keep the weight off of his injured leg. Darcia smiled a little when he saw it. But then he snarled again. He had fought Kiba before. A little wound like that wouldn't keep him down.
They leaped forward again to attack. The two wolves connected with more ferocity than before. Finally, the animals could take no more. This fight was normally a natural thing. They had a natural fear of wolves, and especially wolves fighting. They were ferocious things. But this was not a natural battle. The purple wolf was evil. They could feel it in their bones. They exploded from the undergrowth and ran to escape the feral growls of the wolves. The two wolves ignored them, exchanging heavy blows.
Kiba yelped as Darcia's jaws tightened on his hurt leg. Kiba attacked Darcia's throat but missed, biting his shoulder instead at an odd angle. Darcia had severely injured his leg now. Darcia on the other hand was not that injured. Darcia snarled and attacked Kiba again. His fangs sank deeply into Kiba's chest. Kiba snarled and ripped a hole open on Darcia's back. Darcia snarled and rammed the white wolf, fully intended to pin him on the ground. Kiba managed to wiggle away, but it left him open for Darcia's next attack. He snarled as he felt Darcia's jaws snap closed tightly on the back of his neck beneath his skull. Darcia shook him violently. Kiba gasped. It hurt, and made spots swim before his eyes. He snarled and tried to slip away. But Darcia put his weight into the hurt leg dragging Kiba down to the ground. He was NOT going to let go. Not anytime soon.
Kiba gasped again. Darcia shook him harder. He wasn't shaking him hard enough to kill him, but he knew that it was hard enough to cause some damage. Kiba snarled and tried to bite at Darcia's leg. But his bite strength was now reduced and it hardly seemed to effect Darcia at all. The purple wolf shook him again. Kiba yelped in pain. Spots swam before his eyes, and he felt himself beginning to black out. Kiba knew on instinct that he was hurt pretty badly. He fell down to one back leg, then the other, though he was still fighting to stand. How long would that last?
"Kiba!" he heard someone cry.
A dark furry shahpe hit Darcia hard in the side. It knocked the wind off of him and knocked him off of Kiba. Finally free, Kiba gasped and coughed, still laying down. He slowly stood on shaking legs. His eye sight was off now. Everything was strange. There was something wrong alright. Darcia's bite had done something to him. Kiba raised his injured leg completely up off of the ground, holding it close to his chest. The blood was strikingly visible against his white coat. The purple wolf was shaking his head to clear his confused thoughts. A tongue started to pass over his face. He looked up. Blue was licking him.
"B-Blue...?" He asked, confused.
"It's OK." she promised. "You're going to be alright now. I heard you howl. It's OK. I won't let him hurt you again."
"I'm alright Blue." Kiba lied. He wasn't alright. He felt weak suddenly. "I'll be fine. But we can't stay here. We'll have to leave soon." Blue paused.
"Have you remembered now?" she asked.
"Fortunately yes." Kiba replied, looking back at Darcia. "And Darcia didn't like that at all."
The Purple wolf snarled and turned to look at the other two wolves. Blue bristled and stepped forward in front of Kiba. Her tail raised aggressively and her ears laid back as she showed Darcia her fangs. She was angry with him. She remembered dying at his jaws, but she hated him for hurting the members of her pack. That was the way of wolves. They looked out for their pack. And now she hated him especially for trying to steal Kiba from them and for hurting him. Kiba snarled as well, bristling. But his mind felt fuzzy now.
"Leave now Wolf-dog." Darcia snarled. "My fight is with Kiba alone. You're interfering."
"You've hurt him." Blue snarled in reply. "He belongs to pack, so I'm protecting him. So leave us alone."
"Foolish wolf." Darcia growled, his patience wearing thin. "I will make it to Paradise this time. And his is going to take me there. Leave now and I might let you live."
"Never." Blue spat. "I'll destroy you. It's your fault that history is repeating itself!"
Darcia snarled and crouched to spring. But at about that time, Kiba realized that the others had appeared. The warm scent of flowers washed over him, and even though things were still fuzzy in his mind, he felt himself relax a little. Cheza's hand passed over his head gently. She went down on her knees and hugged the white wolf.
"This one is here Kiba." she whispered to him.
Three more wolves appeared, all snarling angrilly at Darcia. They were all of the same mind as Blue. They were angry that he had tried to hurt Kiba in anyway. They were also angry that he had injured Kiba, but at him in general for what he had done. Even Darcia paused a moment when as he looked at the three snarling wolves. They all stepped between between Kiba and Darcia. Cheza gently touched Kiba's injured shoulder, pouring her power into the wound. It began to heal a little. They both knew that it wouldn't be enough. But she was trying anyway.
Tsume looked the same. He was a large wolf, the largest in their pack, though Darcia was still larger than him. His fur was gray, and across his chest was a "X" shaped scar. Hige looked the same too: a brown wolf that obviously ate well, only he didn't have a collar on. Toboe looked much the same as well. He was still a young wolf, still a pup really. He was brown. On his right forepaw, he had silver bracelets. They weren't the same as the ones he had worn in his previous life. But they were very similar.
Darcia snarled, looking at all of them. Before, he had fought all of them. But now he was injured, and he had lost the strength of his insanity. Besides the fact that he had angered them. He turned and fled, quickly retreating. But he would not give up, and they knew that well. The wolves snarled after him. Then when they were sure that he wasn't coming back for the time being, they turned back to Kiba. He shook his head. But his thoughts were still fuzzy. He felt dizzy, and weak in the legs.
"Are you OK?" Tsume asked, noticing this. Kiba was silent for a while.
"I'll heal." he replied. Cheza coaxed him to lay down. But he ignored her.
"This one knows you're not." she said.
"Don't scare us like that." Hige told Kiba. "Cheza told us that you were in trouble with Darcia. We're glad you're not under his control anymore."
"Darcia used some sort of spell to alter your memories, right?" Blue asked. Kiba nodded after a short pause, and the others bristled in surprise. Toboe whined and nudged Kiba's side gently.
"We have to go." He said. He was the gentlest of all of the wolves. He didn't like fighting. But he would if it was to protect the people he cared for. He nudged Kiba again, and this time the white wolf looked at him. "If we stay here they he'll come back. Let's go." Kiba nodded.
"Damn Darcia..." Hige snarled. "He did something to you again. Why aren't you responding quickly?" Kiba didn't respond to that question at all. He didn't want to over worry them.
The white wolf shook his head again, and Toboe nudged him gently, whining at him. Kiba took a few steps forward, limping heavily. The others watching him carefully, but when he faltered, Tsume growled.
"I don't like it here." he said. "We need to leave."
"Kiba can't walk that fast though." Blue protested. Tsume glanced at Kiba, and he had to admit that she was right. But they couldn't wait for him to keep up either.
"We need to run!" Tsume snarled.
Then he surprised everyone. The gray wolf ran over to the white wolf. Before Kiba could protest, he slipped under his chest and stood to his full height. All four of Kiba's feet left the ground, and he was centered squarely on Tsume's back. He shuddered and snarled a little. It hurt Kiba's pride a little to be carried. But Tsume snapped his jaws at him impatiently to tell him that he was having none of that. Darcia had injured him heavily. Besides, the gray wolf was large. Very large. He had no trouble carrying him. Cheza stood too.
"Hurry." Tsume snarled. "Let's go."
The four wolves launched off, running as quickly as they could. Cheza, even though she appeared human, could easily keep pace with the wolves. They were fast, covering ground quickly. Kiba snarled a little as he grew dizzy again. But he had to admit that they were moving much faster now. A few images appeared in his mind. Tsume had carried him when he was hurt once before. Back then, he recovered enough to stand on his own to feet. But now he was hurt worse than before. Kiba was sure that Darcia had wanted that. He had counted on him not being able to move fast. Then he could catch up to him. But he must have forgotten how protective a pack was of all of their members. He might have forgotten how strong Tsume was too. He could carry the young adult wolf with little effort.
They shot off into Herman city. They had to. They had to find Quent. But as they came into the city, the people saw the wolves and panicked. They dashed to get out of the way, grabbing children and possessions. Wolves were murderers. That was what they had been told. That's what they saw. Kiba snarled a little. He loved these people. He had lived with them. He hated to scare them, even if he knew it was necessary. And his wounds were painful.
It didn't take long for the wolves to realize that he was worse off than they had thought. He was losing a lot of blood now. He seemed to be responding to things less and less. They bristled a little but kept on running. They knew that they had to escape if anything was going to be done about it.
As some of the people were running, they paused. The wolves were beasts, snarling as they ran. But many of the people saw Kiba. It took them a few moments to recognize him. But once they did they gasped. They trusted and loved him. He was one of their lords. And they saw that he was in danger. He was hurt.
The four wolves and Cheza suddenly ground to a halt, snarling their anger and their warning. Cheza paused. Usually, she was a gentle soul. But now rage was in her eyes. Kiba paused when he saw it. He was usually the one to look that way. He had always protected her. But now she was protecting him. He sighed a little as he let his head fall back down onto Tsume's shoulder. The gray wolf glanced at him. He seemed alright for now, but how long would that last? He bristled and snarled louder, revealing the pink gums. The other wolves did the same as they looked up at the guards of Darcia.
They were all dressed in strange armor, all carrying large guns. They weren't really that prepared for fighting a pack of wolves. They paused a little when they saw the ferocity of the wolves. But they they steeled themselves angrily. One pointed at Tsume, making all the wolves crouch and snarl.
"Wolves!" he cried. "How dare you! How dare you come here and attack Lord Darcia! But that wasn't enough for you! You also attacked Kiba and tried to take him from us? We won't let you leave here alive!"
"Foolish humans!" Blue snarled "You don't understand. You're too narrow minded to see why we need Kiba!"
"We are the grand guard of the House of Darcia!" the guard cried, showing them the crest of the House of Darcia on their chests: a purple wolf running on a red field. "We will destroy you for disrecting the ancient laws of our house! You will not get past us!"
"We don't want to kill you..." Toboe said, looking down. But then he looked back up and snarled, anger in his eyes for what Darcia had done. "But if you don't move we will." the other wolves snarled their agreement.
"Typical of a wolf." the guard replied, reaching for a gun. "Those who weren't raised correctly by humans become nothing more than cold blooded murderers. They murder for no reason." then everyone paused as Cheza stepped forward. She glared a the guard, stepping fearlessly among the wolves.
"This one knows Darcia's evil." she said. "This one knows that he is evil and all that he has done. And this one must protect Kiba. So this one is warning you to move."
"Girl..." the guard snarled. "You betrayer of your people. How could you walk among murderous wolves?" Cheza ignored him, running her hand over Kiba's hand gently. He couldn't help but relax a little more. Her eyes softened.
"This one knows how this must be." she said. She continued to stroke Kiba until he relaxed and closed his eyes. "It is always the same. The world has ended and been reborn countless times. Always, this one has led wolves to Paradise. But none could make it. They didn't have what it took. And it made this one sad. But then this one met Kiba, many life times ago. We had just both been reborn into this world. And he was different. So this one chose him. We have formed packs and traveled to Paradise ever since. This one and Kiba have been reborn again several times, and so have our friends this time. Now we might make it. So this one must protect Kiba now."
"Rebirth? The end of the world?" the man snorted. "That sounds like a load of crap to me. I won't let you pass, even if you're insane." Cheza reached forward, again ignoring the guard, and stroked Tsume's head.
The gray wolf paused and looked at her. She was giving him strength. She was urging him to run. Kiba felt a similar power. Only she was relaxing him. She was urging him to remain still and trust them. She didn't want them to get anymore hurt. He did trust them. All of them. He felt his muscles completely relax. His eyes closed. His head laid against Tsume's shoulder. He went completely limp. He just couldn't help it. He appeared to be unconscious. That's how still he was. It surprised even Tsume. But Cheza was still pouring her strength into him. Kiba suddenly felt as if he wasn't heavy at all.
"Go Tsume." Cheza told him. "We will cover you. Go find Quent and we'll catch up. This one will sing her song."
Tsume watched her face for a moment. But she was begging him to protect Kiba. At last he nodded. He was the only one who was strong enough to carry Kiba for that long anyway. They had come to save Kiba from Darcia. And that was what they were going to do. He crouched to spring, and Cheza began to sing. Everyone paused when they heard it.
Shailoh, Shailoh... yatreet ka...
Shailoh shna...otvit ka...
hahla halah... ahlah hah...
Shailoh washnee
fortee neh...
Shailoh, Shailoh... yatreet ka...
omen nio hah...
shailoh, shailoh... yatreet ka...
omen nio hah...
shailoh shailoh... yatreet ka...
shailoh shna... otvit ka...
hahla hahla... ahlah hah...
shailoh washnee
fortee neh...
Suddenly, Hige, Toboe and Blue all snarled. Even gentle Toboe couldn't help but feel her wrath and want nothing more than to act upon it. They were filled with a primordial need to attack. They all leaped forward and the soldiers. They weren't even phased by the gunshots that went off. They dodged the bullets and leaped up, ripping open their throats and leaping off to kill the next one. Cheza began her song again, urging them to keep fighting. And she herself launched forward and attacked as well, kicking at the guards. She could do some damage. Kiba was surprised. He had never seen her so ferocious before. But her song made him relax again. The Tsume leaped off, dashing out of an opening in the ranks of the guards.
He broke free from the mass and ran on as fast as he could. Cheza's song was still sounding in his head. It made him run faster, dodge guards more surely, leap higher. He only knew that he had to escape. He dodged into the slums of the town. There was no one here. The people had fled from the terror of the wolves. He had lost the soldiers for now. Panting heavily, the gray wolf paused to rest.
"Let me down Tsume." Kiba said. "I can walk."
"Like hell you can." Tsume growled in his usual "shut the hell up" voice. "Don't deny it. I don't care how hurt pride is. We came here to help you. So that's what we'll do. So just lie still. We all remember Darcia, and all of the harm he caused us. So we had to come help you. And you're too hurt to walk by yourself. I'm fine. You're not that heavy." But Tsume still had to shift him on his back a little. Kiba paused, raising his head a little.
"Cheza's stopped singing..." he said.
"I'm sure they're fine." Tsume said, reading his mind. "Where's Quent? We have to find him fast and get out of here. You're too injured to go far."
"Where do you think he is?" Kiba sighed. "He's getting drunk. Up the road here, there's a bar. Small, fairly dirty. The owner probably hasn't left yet. He's probably there."
The gray wolf padded forward, still managing to hold himself with a proud bearing even with the injured wolf on his back. He stopped in front of the door that Kiba had indicated. Tsume paused, hearing the argument vaguely from within. The bar tender was a greedy man. He was trying at this time to steal Quent's gun. He might have gotten away with it too. Except that he didn't expect himself to open the door and find himself face to face with a snarling wolf. Unable to shoot the gun and unwilling to try and figure it out, he dropped it and ran away screaming. Tsume huffed a little. This was hardly worth his time. Quent came out quickly and picked up his gun, examining it. He glanced at the wolf with a hard glance and then sighed.
"Thanks for that." Quent said. "He was trying to steal my gun."
"I'll never understand humans' need to have things." Tsume said. "But we have bigger things to worry about now. We have to leave. Darcia wants to use Kiba to get to Paradise. He managed to escape, but he's hurt." Tsume turned to look at the injured white wolf where he had laid him to help the human. Quent quickly went to Kiba's side, laying a hand on his back. Kiba looked up at him.
"I managed to break free from his spell." Kiba explained lamely. Then his head laid back down.
"We need to leave town." Tsume told Quent. "But Darcia has sent out his soldiers to get Kiba back."
"We'll need a car." Quent said calmly. "He can't walk at all. And even if he could, he wouldn't make it far. He's in bad shape. I have no idea what happened, but we'll need to help him out. We're going to have to find someone who has some clue about how to heal wolves and won't freak out when they see him. They'll have to help us get him back on his feet quickly. Besides the fact that we'll need to hide."
"Do you know someone like that?" Tsume asked, a little frustrated.
"I do." Quent replied, storing his gun again out of sight. "We'll have to go to Sygn City. It was once known as Freeze City. And if I remember right, that's where all of our paths crossed for the first time. And what about the others?"
"They'll catch up." Tsume replied.
Quent picked Kiba up, making the wolf snarl in surprise. But Quent ignored him and swung the wolf up onto his shoulders. Kiba was surprised by how strong the older man was, but didn't think about it long. His head swam again. He was too dizzy. Normally, he would have struggled., even being raised to where he would accept the touch of humans. It hurt his pride to be carried like some prized catch. But now he was too hurt and tired to complain. He remained still, and he went limp again. Quent noticed and patted Kiba's side, holding his legs so he wouldn't fall off.
"Easy." Quent said. Then he looked at Tsume. "Let's go. We're going to have to steal a car. I don't like the idea, but we have little choice now. And if we run into anyone, you'll be far more convincing with these people than I would."
Tsume and Quent then turned and walked as quickly as they could down the street. Everyone had turned and ran away, leaving many things behind. Including several cars. Most weren't even out of the drive ways where they had been parked. But some were out on the street and the doors were thrown open. It turned out that they didn't need to convince anyone of anything. So they selected a car, a large gray one with a large back. Quent opened the back and laid Kiba in, letting Tsume in too. He laid the two back rows of seats down too, making more space for the wolf pack. He only needed the front too seats anyway. He closed the back and got in the front, glad for the tinted windows on the car. Then he slipped in, buckled up, and turned the car on, shutting the door.
Now he turned and maneuvered the gray behemoth through the empty streets. He was looking for the others. He knew it wouldn't be long before guards realized what was happening. But maybe they could escape and get enough of a head start that they couldn't catch up for a while. And with a snow storm blowing nearly constantly year round outside, that would make it that much harder to track them for a while.
"There's probably enough fuel to get us to Sygn City." Quent said. "And then after that, we'll see what we have to do."
"Just get us out of here." Tsume growled as he laid down near Kiba. He didn't like this bumpy ride in the car. The white wolf whined a little in pain.
Quent drove on in silence after that, watching carefully for the sight of the others. When he saw them, he quickly applied the brakes. Tsume opened the back door with this jaws. They all leaped inside and Cheza pulled the door shut. Then Quent pressed the gas pedal down as far as it would go. They gray car barreled its way towards the front gate, where everyone else was going. People and guards leaped out of the way. But before the guards had even realized what was happening, the group was out of sight in the frozen wilderness. No one spoke until even the wolves were sure that the town and their pursuers were gone. At least for a while.
Hige laid down and Blue laid down next to him, laying her head on top of Hige's when he laid it down. They had been separated for a long time. But they were glad to finally be together, and they were willing to make the most of what time they had together. Now that there was no significant threat to their pack, Tsume laid back down. And the exhausted and perhaps slightly traumatized Toboe laid down too with a whine. He didn't like killing people. But he would. Cheza made her way over to Kiba. Then she pulled the white wolf's head into her lap. He whined a little. He was too exhausted to do much else. Cheza frowned sadly and stroked his head. He relaxed slightly.
"Kiba..." she said. The white wolf didn't really respond now. He didn't have the strength left. He was too tired. She frowned deeper and stroked his head gently. The other wolves looked at him.
"He's hurt worse than we thought..." Tsume growled. "It'll get serious if we don't get him some help soon."
"He'll have to hold on for a while yet." Quent said. "But he's strong. He'll make it. If only just."
"All of our problems seem to stem from Darcia." Hige growled quietly. Toboe looked like he might burst into tears even though he was in his wolf form and didn't have the ability.
"Just hang on Kiba..." He begged. "Don't give up." He licked the white wolf's face gently.
They're all so fond of me. Kiba thought.
Of course. Cheza replied in his mind as she continued to stroke his soft, dense fur. You're a part of our pack. We're a family. Then she paused. But do you remember what this one said in your dream?
We need humans to open Paradise. Kiba replied, glad that his mind's voice was reacting much faster than his body was.
And other animals. Cheza said. Not just wolves.
Did Darcia pollute Paradise that badly? Kiba asked, surprised.
Yes. Cheza replied. This one thinks that we'll need five humans, and then a few other animals. You will choose them Kiba when the time comes.
Why?
Has this one ever led you astray Kiba?
No. Kiba sighed in his mind. It just seems like too much has changed this time.
Change is good. Cheza replied a little cheerfully. It means that something different will happen. We'll make it to Paradise this time. This one knows it.
Not if Darcia has anything to say about it. Kiba thought. Cheza bristled a little.
This one will kill Darcia herself if this one must. She promised. This one will not forgive him for hurting Kiba.
Yes. Kiba said in his mind tiredly. A lot has changed. But perhaps it will prove to be a blessing. Cheza stroked his muzzle softly.
"Rest Kiba." Cheza whispered to him. "You're safe with this one."
Kiba sighed and fell into and exhausted sleep, dreaming of Paradise and defeating the looming purple shadow that stood in his way. His wounds still hurt, but he needed rest. So he would sleep, and wait for tomorrow.
So that was the end of Chapter two.
A lot happened in this chapter. But I feel like I didn't do too bad on it. It sets the story for the rest of the chapters. So should be fun right?
Thanks for reading, and leave a review below please!