She didn't like this recent development.
Setsu had already crept to the back of her den, fuming and embarrassed. Her fur was bristling like a briar patch, though she had no one to intimidate, and she could feel the absolute hate of everything coursing through her, though she'd been hiding back here for an hour already. How dare they!
Glancing toward the front of her den with pure venom, she huffed angrily, not caring if he heard her or not. This was unacceptable! Despite her anger, Setsu still couldn't bring herself to leave the den. She had no intention of being shamed again, since exploding at the Grandmaster could finish the same way the last discussion earlier had ended. By the end of it, Setsu had swept up the scattered pieces of her broken pride, gathered them, and slowly slunk back into her den while trying to appear as if she wasn't slinking.
Now she was stuck with him as a guard.
"For one shift only, my ass," Setsu muttered, throwing another dirty look at the den entrance. With the way things were going, she was almost missing Zakura and the other random guards she'd had at that time period. Now it seemed the Grandmaster was getting extremely selective, and not in a way that Setsu approved of it. How dare she pick that red eyed freak as her guard!
Fidgeting in her anger, Setsu struggled to stay in her den. First there was the shame and that. . . warning about faking illness, and now this! The Grandmaster knew very well she disliked Alucard, and assigning him to be this close to her was pushing Setsu's patience.
She hadn't bothered to stick around after the Grandmaster broke the news to her, and had shut herself up in den before Alucard even arrived, even holding her breath when the wind had blown into her den to keep from picking up his rancid stench.
She was an inch away from breaking!
Obviously, if the Grandmaster ticked her off, she would show her! She would definitely speak up. Certainly. Right to her face. Without any hesitation. …not that she'd had any to start with. No, she was completely unafraid of the old relic. She was the closest thing to the Grandmaster's level there was inside the clan– why would she be scared of the ancient dog? It wasn't like there was anyone higher than her and the Grandmaster… though the Conclave had been brought up a few times… whoever that was… and Cain had given out more orders than Setsu… not that his were more important, mind you…
Setsu shook her head, getting rid of the final thought. It didn't matter what authority Cain had, second in command or whatever the hell he was to Drake, she trumped it. Somehow. Still feeling sulky, but now having vented some frustration about things in her head, Setsu began to flea herself. She could feel no fleas biting right now, but suddenly felt like she needed something to do. Anything to do. Chew on bones, groom herself, something.
A feeling of claustrophobia began overtake Setsu as she felt the den distorting, beginning to pull its rock walls in on itself. Her breath sped up, coming out in short gasps, and everything began to twist in a circle like someone had bitten on to the fabric of the world and had started pulling it back, leaving Setsu to stare at the rotating, sucking away edges. The horrible nauseating feeling she'd had in the last training session with the Grandmaster was back, tugging at her insides. Struggling not to puke, Setsu fought back, shoving it away and wrenching its grip off of her.
Suddenly she was almost on the floor, legs feeling like rubber, panting and heaving like she never had before. Shaking, Setsu lowered herself to the ground, barely able to keep from dropping herself while she did so. This couldn't be happening again. Not now. She didn't want that freak Alucard to be outside, listening in on her harsh breathing and heaving, or even worse, decide to investigate and come inside the den only to see her wide eyes, shaking legs, and ruffled fur.
Still shaking, Setsu dragged herself forward, going back further into the den. No, god no, she would not demean herself by letting them see her in her weakness. That was unacceptable as the Container, and unacceptable for her beaten up pride. She would put an end to this sickness before it started, and would escape yet another lecture about faking illness or eating any weird plants whenever she felt ill from the Grandmaster. That old wench wouldn't be able to say anything to her.
Pressing herself up against the far back wall of the cave, Setsu felt a jolt and withdrew. Why was it so cold? This wasn't nightfall or the winter; what the hell was going on? It was only then did Setsu feel the heat radiating off of her fur and heaving chest. Shit, she had some kind of fever. This wasn't good.
In an effort to cool off, Setsu ignored her protesting body and shoved herself completely up against the wall again, letting the cold eat away at the heat. She stayed there, legs slowly beginning to slide down under her, letting her sink down to the floor. She was almost on the verge of completely lying down when she heard the soft footsteps echoing through the den.
Jerking her head up, Setsu stared up at the front of the den, muffling her panting. Someone was there. Clearing her throat, Setsu sucked in air, trying to regain her voice.
"Alucard, leave!" she said, her demanding screech coming out more like a whine. "Go somewhere else, I'm trying to rest!"
There was silence as Setsu tried to listen to any footsteps or movements in the front of the den. She keep her ears up, straining to hear the tiniest sound. There was nothing.
Setsu allowed herself to wheeze again, shaking off her remaining nausea. It was fading slower than before, and her belly was still in pain. God, whatever she was catching was going to earn her hell out of the Grandmaster, and probably a whole ton of that new 'healing herb' she'd been recently giving her. Why did this have to happen to her, brilliant her, of all dogs? Setsu knew she definitely didn't deserve whatever sickness was trying to make itself welcome in her body, and she would get rid of it before it went any further.
Setsu smacked her lips, running her tongue over her teeth and licking her slightly dry nose to make it shiny and wet again. She laid out her back legs next to each other, stretching her body to air out her heated pink belly, and spread out her front legs like a sloppy Sphinx. She could feel some of the heat leaving her already, curtsey of her position near the wall and the chilliness of the cave. She leaned her head against the wall, closing her eyes as she felt the damp, cold rook.
Just as Setsu was feeling slightly comfortable, she heard footsteps approaching from the outside. Opening her eyes, she pulled her head away and straightened her neck out. Alucard…! She growled.
She could hear the footsteps pausing in front of the den.
"Great… Great Container?" she heard a voice whine hesitantly.
Not Alucard, then, she thought.
"Who are you, and what do you want?" she snapped.
From the sound of the voice, she could tell she was talking to a rather young adult– probably only a three or four year old. Also probably one of the newer ones sent to take care of her whims. A Grandmaster chosen, no doubt. The old witch was now constantly rotating whoever took care of her, whether their job was den cleaning or bringing her tidbits of food. Setsu wouldn't have cared, if it weren't for the fact that these newbies were often terrible and inefficient in the jobs they were given.
"Haloo, medium ranked guard and son of Shulma and Hyra, mam!" the voice immediately responded, stiff and military. "I'm supposed to help you clean your den… if… if you're not still chewing on something, that is," it finished, obviously a little reluctant.
Setsu disliked the puppiness of the voice immediately. What had the Grandmaster sent her, an adult whelp?
"I don't need a den cleaning, so get out." she said. "And while you're leaving, tell that brute Alucard to go catch me something. I want a treat, and I want it now," she ended with her familiar spoiled growl.
"Are you sure? That you don't want a den cleaning, I mean?" the voice asked again. It was already drilling a hole into Setsu's ears.
"NO!" she yelled. She felt like jumping up and strangling the dog or slamming her head against the cave wall until she cracked her skull open. "I TOLD YOU, JUST TELL ALUCARD TO GET ME SOME FOOD!"
Setsu vowed to make Alucard's life hell for this. He was lurking around the entrance, supposedly being her 'guard,' but he wouldn't even drive away this brat or speak up and answer it for her, even though she felt sick enough to go out and eat an entire field of grass. Oh, damn you to hell, you conniving bastard, Setsu fumed. This had to be his crude attempt at a joke or something similar.
"Reeeeeaaaally?" the voice asked, going up a few octaves like a dog whistle.
No, this wasn't Alucard's attempt at a joke, it was probably revenge for something. Possibly jealousy.
"YES!" Setsu screamed, her voice echoing around the cave. "GET OUT! GET OUT!"
There was a pause after her outburst as Setsu found her throat lurching in pain under the stress of yelling so loudly. She breathed in deeply and quickly in attempt to get rid of the pain, sucking in air, every breath she took almost whistling.
She listened to the outside through her breathes, trying to hear the departing footsteps. There were none.
Something shifted at the entrance.
"But I'm not standing inside your cave," the voice whined.
Definitely revenge.
A garbled mixture of growls and cut off of words spewed out of Setsu's mouth, bubbling out from behind her hurting throat. She stuttered a few more times, one eye twitching dangerously and temperature going up before she suddenly cut off.
"…just leave." she said in a small pleading voice that didn't sound like her own. "I don't need your help. Really. Get out. Of my entrance. And my hearing. Now. Please."
There was another pause, and Setsu could hear the dog shuffling around the entrance, still not moving.
"Um… Great Container…?" There was confusion in its voice.
"What?" Setsu asked wearily, some snap back in her voice.
"…there's no one outside your den."
XXXX
A massive burp erupted from the young puppy, too massive for one his age. Wing simply viewed it as another metaphorical medal to pin upon his furry chest. Or rather his gut. Wing ran his paw across his engorged belly, a melon sized testament to his triumph. Or rather how he viewed it.
The pup sighed. "Now that was a dinner."
Wing loved to eat. That wasn't a secret. Ever since he was born he had loved food. He recalled all the grandest meals he had. Suckling at his mother's teats, filling himself with her milk, oh Wing remembered those days fondly. Then he was weaned, forced to eat solid food. He had been disappointed at first, but soon he found himself enjoying the broader menu. His parents brought pack rabbits, partridges, squirrels and many other forms of prey.
But it was never enough for him. His parents always limited to how much he ate leaving him grumbling both in stomach and in mouth. Then he found that bear carcass. Although his siblings had strayed away from it, mostly out of fright, he showed no fear in doing so. He tore into that beast and ate like there was no tomorrow.
That moment would rival how he felt today: fat and happy. It would seem his father's promise of good food was not a lie.
Wing's glazed eyes held a euphoric shine as he gazed about, observing the many faces. First were his siblings. Mina looked disgusted, nothing surprising, Kuro looked shocked, then again, he was always shocked whenever his brother gorged himself. Kin held a blend of what appeared to be shock and awe. Likewise, his siblings, his brother Tama, and his two sisters appeared to hold the same sentiments.
"Wow Wing!" Kin exclaimed, "I can't believe you ate that much!" Kin blinked his eyes as he tried to ascertain how his new found friend could fit so much into his belly.
That was another thing Wing liked about Ohu: he had made a new friend. He found some kind of kindred spirit with Kin, they were both mixed breeds, they both had siblings that occasional annoyed them (mostly the sisters), and they were both adventurous, although Wing triumphed Kin in appetite. Wing's eyes drifted from the pups towards the adults. Kin's mother Reika held a paw to her mouth holding her shock in silence. Wing's mother Mayu on the other hand, well the twig she held in her twitching mouth illustrated her feelings. His father Bat kept his expression blank. The same could be said of Kin's own father Hiro, a big and buff looking Great Pyreness.
Mayu mumbled something under her breath. Whatever it was, it was something about being embarrassed. Reika could sense the tenseness in the air, so she thought up an idea.
"Why don't we let the children play? We could go someplace private and chat." The mother looked at the fellow mother in hopes she would share the same idea. Mayu looked towards her bloated son and then to Reika. Switching the twig in her mouth, Mayu came to a decision.
"Bat?" She asked her mate first.
Bat merely responded with, "Why not?"
Likewise, Reika asked her own mate.
Hiro looked toward Bat and then back to Reika. "Alright."
During that brief exchange of glances, Mayu and Reika could sense some form of animosity, distrust even, but the two males said nothing in regards to it.
The adults wandered off but not too far so as to keep an eye on their offspring. Seeing that their parents were preoccupied with grown up stuff, the pups milled about to play. Mina went off with Kin's sisters while Kuro went with Tama. Or rather Tama ended up forcibly playing with Kuro. Kuro wasn't much of a rough houser, but he didn't have a choice in the matter.
Wing sat back full and happy with himself, uncaring to what his siblings or his friends siblings did.
"Man, I've never seen anyone eat that much in my entire life!" Kin further exclaimed. "How did learn how to eat that much?"
Wing opening his mouth to speak but not before Mina opened hers. "It's because he' s a piggy!"
"Shut up!" Wing snapped provoking Mina to stick her tongue out in response.
Wing waited a moment before he answered as he didn't want to be interrupted again. Opening his mouth, another burp emerged. Wing sighed again and patted his belly with pride. "Practice Kin...practice."
And Wing had plenty more practice in store. To be honest he still felt a might peckish.
XXX
"My your son certainly has quite the appetite." Reika attempted to start the conversation.
Mayu chewed on her twig, nearly snapping it. "He probably gets it from his father's side of the family."
Bat was about to retort something, more particular in regards to how much his wife ate whilst she was pregnant. Then again, they had never met his mother. Nevertheless he kept quiet.
"With an appetite that big, the boy is bound to a great fighter." Hiro spoke at last. "Did you ever plan on training him?"
Mayu and Bat didn't know what to say in regards to that. Well Bat didn't at least.
"We simply came here to provide a better life for our children, somewhere they could grow up in peace." Mayu answered truthfully. "But I've been teaching my daughter to hunt recently."
"And your sons?" Hiro asked,
Mayu eyed the dog somehow not liking that last statement. "Of course, all my children will receive the same treatment, I don't play favorites in gender."
Bat and Reika could sense some sort of animosity growing. The way their mates spoke and looked towards each other just seemed to imply something. Mayu kept a solid glare towards the male and he to her. Suddenly, Hiro's glare twitched as Reika nudged him.
"Dear be nice!" She whispered.
"What?" Hiro asked.
"You're being rude!"
"What's rude about that?"
"Well she's Cross's daughter we should be more respectful."
Mayu's twig finally snapped in two. "Bat dear I think we should be going."
Reika let out a light gasp, she was so certain she had kept herself quiet enough. She turned to Hiro with a scolding chide in her eyes. Mayu rose and Bat followed after his mate.
"Thank you for a lovely time but it is getting late." Said Mayu as she walked off.
This wasn't how Reika had planned the evening, it was supposed to be a good chat between parents. She had to remedy this.
"Miss Mayu wait!" Reika ran after the couple. "Please you don't have to leave."
Mayu and Bat stopped at the female's words, they could at least hear her out. Mayu wasn't that annoyed after all. Yet she wanted to hurry up and grab Wing before he found something else for him to nibble on. Knowing Wing, that would be a definite possibility
"Please I apologize for the way my husband acted, we should have been more graceful hosts." Reika bowed apologetically.
Mayu had to admit, she appreciated the gesture. Reika seemed rather lady like in comparison to her. Not sure if that would mean they wouldn't be a good match together as friends, but at the moment Mayu wasn't in a friend making mood.
"Look Reika right? I get what you're trying to do and I don't have any hard feelings towards you. But just stop it." Mayu spoke with a slight harshness in her tone. "I'm only here for my children's sake...nothing else."
Reika sat silent in regards to Mayu's words. She didn't know what to really make of it.
"But what about our boys? They get along so well." Reika reminded.
True, Wing and Kin certainly did get along, and it was nice for Wing to have a friend outside his family. Most pups weren't so lucky. Least the ones who didn't live in packs.
"I didn't say I was keeping them apart, my son son may still play with your son and the same applies to the rest of your pups." Looking back at the Akita Inu, Mayu's gaze softened for the moment. "That's all I have to say to that." Looking back up at her mate, Mayu added. "Bat I'll carry Wing and save your neck the trouble."
Mayu walked off towards the distant sounds of laughter.
Reika sighed in defeat. Her perfect evening had completely failed.
"Don't take it personally Mrs. Reika, my wife has...been through a lot." Bat excused.
"You mean with Cross?"
Bat shot his head up slightly surprised. "You know about that?"
Reika nodded. "News spreads fast. Doubt there isn't anyone who doesn't know about them. I feel sorry for her."
"Mayu wouldn't like to hear that. As you can tell, she has a bit of a temper." He joked.
Reika followed in the joke laughing along with him. "I an see that, but I can tell she really cares for her children."
"WING PUT THAT THING OUT OF YOUR MOUTH! YOU'RE BLOATED ENOUGH AS IT IS!" Mayu's voice bellowed out sending chills down both Bat and Mayu's spines.
Bat sighed in the direction his wife's voice came from. "I better go help her. Thank you for the dinner, hopefully our families can meet again." Bat spoke politely.
The Labrador walked away to help his mate towards in rearing their pups. Reika could hear the complaints along with a gassy sounding belch, courtesy of Wing. Soon, Reika would have to gather her own brood up. As much as this night was a failure, Reika had gained a better understanding. Mayu and Bat, both were destined for each other, both were mistrusted. Bat was a leftover from the army of a monster, while Mayu was a stranger who had a negative encounter with one of Ohu's oldest soldiers, even further so a controversy between the two had long since spread, something that many of the new Ohu soldiers had just learned, including her.
Oh well, at least something good had come out of it. Kin wouldn't keep quiet about his new friend. That and he mentioned something about Wing's sister being cute.
XXXX
This was reaching ridiculous levels.
Setsu glared at the guard, just daring him to come closer. He twitched, leaning back. Despite his thick skull, he'd received the message quite well. But Setsu knew it wasn't going to last long. He feared the Grandmaster much more than he feared her, and there was nothing she could do about it. Still, she tried again.
"Get rid of it, this instant."
The dog shifted uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, Great Container, but I can't obey your orders. I'm under the Grandmaster's commands to give you this."
Setsu ground her teeth together, staring at the wad of disheveled weeds that were hanging out of the guard's mouth. The guard was growing more and more uncomfortable, fidgeting as he held the herbs in his mouth. They gave off a faintly rank scent that made Setsu's belly churn slightly.
"…fine," she eventually snapped, seeing the odd look on the soldier's face. She'd been arguing with him for over five minutes, and if he stood there any longer, she was sure she was going to order his execution.
…then again, she thought, he's one of the Grandmaster's little pets, so I doubt she'd let it happen… Her mood darkened even further.
"Spit out the weed and get out of my sight," she said disgustedly, turning around. "You're dismissed."
The guard gratefully dropped the clump of herbs to the ground, immediately running his tongue over the sides of his lips as if he wanted to cut it on his teeth.
"Yes, Great Container!"
He gave a short dip of his head, briefly pulling his tail in closer to his belly, before turning and quickly scampering out of her den. He looked incredibly relieved to be out, and Setsu couldn't blame him. She snorted in disgust at the wad of herbs in front of her. They stank, and their unnatural dark color was almost enough to incite her to begin scraping at her tongue.
Narrowing her eyes, Setsu shoved them away with her paw. The Grandmaster was insisting that she eat these special herbs more than ever. This was the second day in a row she'd received a clump promptly at morning, afternoon, and evening, and she'd be damned if the piles weren't steadily growing bigger.
Setsu pulled back her lips, a low growl growing in her throat as she stared down the herbs. They usually arrived with a bundle of fresh prey to help her choke them down, but there was none today. She didn't have to think long before she knew way. That idiot is late again! Setsu had to keep herself from grinding her teeth in frustration.
She'd recently noticed that she hadn't been slicing through prey as easily, and had immediately assumed that her new aid was picking out horrible, toughened specimens. But when she'd confronted Haloo about it, he'd denied everything. In fact, he'd pointed out that she was probably wearing down her teeth by grinding them together so much, something that she had been doing while he was talking to her. She'd insulted him and dismissed him to go accompany Alucard on a hunting run, her special favor. It was the least she owed the bulge-eyed freak for letting the Grandmaster introduce Haloo to her.
Well, in hindsight, Setsu decided that it probably would have been better to have sent him off with Drake or the aging Lazarus and hope they'd kill him.
On the other paw, she had a sinking feeling that Haloo would've somehow survived, and come back with an eye hanging out of his head or his guts bouncing around near his feet, cheerfully telling her that it had been the best hunt ever. She shuddered at the thought, hunching up and sweeping her tail closer to her. That brat was near unkillable. Whoever the hell his parents had been had created a complete monster, and there was no getting rid of him. He'd only been her aid for two or three days, yet she'd already felt like seeking them out and throwing herself at them to beg them not to have any more offspring multiple times.
Setsu would have continued to abuse Haloo in her head for much longer if the smell of the herbs hadn't started to diffuse throughout her den. She shook her head, blinking and coming awake. Thanks to the calm, cool air wafting through her cave, the smell of the herbs was spreading quite quickly. If she didn't do something about it soon, then her entire den would reek like them.
The Grandmaster had told her that this was a special treatment– prescribed only to her– that was to keep away all of her cramps and nausea during and after training. So far, it hadn't been working. Setsu still felt like her belly was doing flips the whole time, and she still had to viciously fight against cases of the shivers afterwards. So far, she was winning.
Setsu wrinkled her nose up in distaste at the herbs. Eating them had used to be optional, but not any more. The Grandmaster commanded– not asked; commanded– her to eat them. She didn't have a choice in the matter. Setsu swore under her breath, uncomfortably shifting and staring at the herbs. Setsu do this, Setsu do that– it was as if all of her free will was being halved.
She suddenly felt very stiff and awkward, as if she was in a group and had just said something that shouldn't' have been said– a rare feeling for Setsu. She shuffled awkwardly, flopping her tail. She sniffed, smelling the herbs, and their stench filled her nose, waking her up. Setsu snorted, shaking her head. "Urgh, damn herbs," she muttered, sniffing frantically, distracting herself.
The sound of claws clicking against the cave floor echoed throughout the entire den. Setsu narrowed her eyes, pinning her ears back for a moment. A stranger?
"Container, I brought food!" a peppy voice called out.
She growled, shuddering. So much worse.
Setsu watched in disgust as Haloo trotted into the den entrance, dead rabbit hanging from his jaws. She raised her head higher, looking at him down the end of her nose. "You address me as Great Container, not as Container, and you will ask for my permission before you enter my den, not just come in like a stupid pup–"
Haloo was already at the back of the den, sitting in front of her with his tail wagging. He dropped the rabbit, sending herbs flying, spiraling everywhere. Setsu swore violently. She regretted it instantly when it turned Haloo's eyes on her, actually focusing in on her instead of staring blankly.
His large, pleased eyes seemed to morph into the more vigilant, colder adult eyes that were universal to all of the Grandmaster's guards. If she hadn't been around him as much, Setsu would've laughed tauntingly, but she'd had enough Haloo near her to want to groan and roll her eyes instead. The eyes were nothing but a lying front– Haloo couldn't hold his soldierly attitude for more than two lines of conversation. He'd slip back into being an adult pup in no time.
"You're late," Setsu snapped, voice high pitched and angry. "What took you long? I was starving!" she whined. She angrily stomped her paw. "Explain yourself, or I'll have you punished!"
Normally, Setsu would've tried to avoid getting into any kind of talk of punishment– or talk in general– with Haloo, but her belly hurt again, and she was extra irritable. Add the herbs to the mix and Haloo's tardiness, and she was just dying to take it out on someone.
Unfortunately, she choose the wrong dog.
"Yes, m'am!" Haloo barked back, straightening up. "Apologies, Container. I was… distracted. By… by a squirrel." He began to slump, ears drooping sheepishly. "It… it ran up a tree, and I just had to chase it, because I was hungry, and I'd killed the rabbit, so I just took off, and then–"
"Shut up!" Setsu screeched. She closed her eyes, feeling her belly churn. Why was it suddenly misbehaving now, around Haloo, of all her rotten luck? If she emptied her stomach in front of that miserable brat, she swore she was going to kill him. Setsu took in a shuddering breath, opening her eyes. Haloo was staring at her, his ears and tail cocked at an odd angle. He genuinely seemed puzzled, sniffing the air in front of her several times before he pulled his muzzle back, eyes fading back into adolescence.
"What are you looking at?" Setsu said.
Haloo's eyes widened, and his ears and tail flew out of their odd positions and stood upright or straightened out. "Nothing at all, m'am," he said, sounding more like whipped pup than soldier. "Just your weird plants, that's all." He thoughtfully turned his head to look around the den at all the spilled and scattered herbs.
"That's hardly nothing," Setsu muttered acidly, but Haloo wasn't paying attention. He was already staring in fascination at all the floppy leaves and stalks, sniffing the air and recoiling slightly at their pungent smell.
"What do these things do?" Haloo asked, appalled. "They smell stronger than a dead bear!"
For once– and only once– Setsu found herself agreeing with Haloo. The herbs stunk, even more so today than ever before. They'd been steadily getting worse, their proportions getting bigger, and she hated them even more.
"Are you sure you want these things here?" Haloo continued, wrinkling his muzzle in disgust at the leaves. "They can't be nice to have around. Who gave them to you?"
"None of your business," Setsu said, swishing her tail in agitation and giving Haloo a cold glare. "It's confidential. Just between me and the Grandmaster," she said, raising her nose higher condescendingly.
"Oh," Haloo said. He immediately stopped distastefully sniffing at a leaf he'd pawed over to himself, pulling away. "Aren't you hungry?"
An odd feeling pulled at Setsu's stomach as she watched Haloo, and not the usual nausea she felt. She found herself observing the distance he'd put between himself and the leaf, as if just mentioning the word "Grandmaster" made it part of a higher plane than himself. Even though it was only a foot away, and he'd been vigorously poking and smelling at a second ago, all curiosity had instantly died when she'd mentioned the Grandmaster's name, and an apparent wall had gone up between them.
"Not really," Setsu lied. She licked his lips, suddenly feeling the need to wet her nose again. Haloo prodded the rabbit with his snout, rolling it over with a clumsy curiosity. He flinched its legs hit the cave floor, pulling his head back, but was immediately on top of it again in seconds, nose snuffling over its chest fur and neck. Setsu drew back at his sudden intensity. Why was he going over the rabbit so vigorously when he was the one who killed it? He was well aware how it had died.
"So… Haloo," Setsu said, struggling to keep herself from recoiling from his loud snuffles, "did you see Cain or the Grandmaster anywhere today, or are they in a meeting?"
Setsu felt a sudden bitter weight on her tongue when she mentioned the Grandmaster's name.
Haloo, not noticing anything, perked his head up. He was completely unconscious of Setsu's much sweeter tone and more seductive pose, or the grimace that had passed over her face a few mere moments ago.
"I don't watch the Grandmaster. I watch you."
Setsu blinked in surprise. She frowned, flicking her ears back and pulling her lips back for a split second.
"I know that, obviously. But she assigned you to me, right? You should've seen her earlier."
"You're the Container, not me," Haloo pointed out. "If anyone's close to her, it's you. In rank, that is." He flipped the rabbit over again, looking ready to squirm in excitement and play. Setsu was stunned into silence.
Finally, she was pulled out of her thoughts when a familiar bitter smell hit her nose. Setsu shuddered, growling. She huffed angrily at the herbs. She'd forgotten they were still here and needed to be eaten. This wasn't going to be pleasant.
Haloo was still toying with the rabbit when it was abruptly jerked away from him. He blinked in shock at Setsu's possessive eyes before realizing what he had been doing. "Sorry," he whimpered, bowing his head and tucking his tail between his legs, "I forgot it was yours, Container, please please pleeeeeeeeaaase forgive me–"
"Oh, shut up," Setsu said. Haloo blinked again. Setsu sounded oddly good natured. She plopped down, holding the rabbit between her paws and licking her lips. "You were hungry, after all. You haven't eaten, have you?"
Haloo licked his lips excitedly. Food? "No, m'am, I haven't, but I was busy chasing a squirrel so–"
"Just shut up already," Setsu snapped, good natured quickly disappearing. She ground her teeth together for a moment before breathing in deeply. Haloo watched her blankly. She breathed out again after seemingly counting under her breath. Setsu looked up at him again, ears up and fur fluffed out.
"Anyway," she continued, squeezing the rabbit, "since you're hungry, you can do me a favor. I have… scraps I want you to eat," she said, fishing for a word that would make Haloo pleased. Sure enough, at the sound of "scraps," he was immediately interested, eyes wide and tail wagging.
"Scraps? I'll eat any of them!" he said excitedly, tongue dripping with drool. Setsu smoothed the ears on the rabbit's head back with her claws, stroking the corpse's head. That was exactly what she'd wanted to hear.
"Good," she responded. "In that case, eat all of my herbs."
Haloo hesitated for a only a moment. "Will do!"
"But wait!" Setsu said sharply, making him stop in his tracks, "that's not all."
She paused, trying to find the appropriately flattering words. "Since you're such a… devoted and loyal aid… to your… master," she said, grasping the word she wanted, "I'm giving you a special break. You and you only. In fact, you have a den all to yourself. Just go to the pocket cave near the infirmary and tell the guards there I told you to go and stay, and that they aren't supposed to say anything else to ANY of the other guards. Is that clear?"
Haloo looked ready to hyperventilate. "Really? Really?" He bounced up and down, quivering with pure joy and tongue hanging out of his mouth until he remembered who he was front of. He instantly froze, turning to Setsu.
"Thank you Container, this is the best-break-ever-and-I-can't-believe-you-said-I-was-loyal–"
"It was nothing," Setsu said dismissively. Smiling, tail wagging in a few circles of halfhearted happiness, she took a bite of her rabbit. Setsu swallowed it down, licking her lips at the taste of the stilled blood.
"Well? Are you going to get eating? Those weeds aren't going to swallow themselves, idiot," she scoffed.
Tail wagging, Haloo took a bite of the first clump of herbs.
XXXX
"You're lying."
"Am not."
"I bet you a whole stack of rabbits that you are."
Kin snorted. "You would never have a whole stack of rabbits, you'd eat them first if you could steal them." The little pup rolled on his side, sniffing the grass that tickled his nose.
Both of the puppies were lounging around in one of the many patches of grass in the innards of the Ohu camp, sprawled out and arguing about nothing. Normally, this would've been impossible with Wing's mother's protectiveness, but after Bat had pulled Mayu aside in the aftermath of their little dinner with Kin's family, they'd been given the okay to wander around the center of the camp by themselves– provided they stuck to the center, of course.
Though they were hidden in their little patch of tall, bendy grass they were surrounded by adults. Wing stuck his tongue out at Kin before poking his nose from between the grass, parting the blades and sniffing furiously. Using nose to keep a gap in the grass open, he peeked out. Around twelve to fifteen soldiers were all relaxing in the bald clearing surrounding their little hiding spot, all spread out. Most of them were napping or sunning, a few lazily chatting in groups with their buddies. No one was in a big hurry to go anywhere.
Wing pulled his head back into the grass. "Do you know anyone we can go after?"
Kin pawed at his nose, growling shrilly and snapping at a beetle crawling nearby. "Nope."
"What about your dad?" Wing asked. He'd taken a liking to what he'd seen of Kin's dad– a giant, cream and yellowish and brown colored mammoth who seemed to take up your entire frame of vision with his huge body and puffy waves of fur. Wing had never seen puffy fur before. It greatly interested him.
"He's on a hunting trip or something, maybe talking to mom." Kin snapped at the beetle again, watching as it moved backwards and paused before it took off forward again.
"Ah," Wing said, disappointed.
He liked Kin's mom, but she was not a suitable subject for harassment on fighting techniques or battle scars. The reddish furred akita was, surprisingly, sweet and quiet. When Wing had told this to Kin (in more puppish, blustering words) Kin had just given him an odd look and told him that his mom was kind of talkative, and pretty much at the same noise level as everyone else. At this point, Wing realized that Reika wasn't quiet– his own mother merely had a loudmouth. Particularly when he'd done something bad, like whacked Kuro over the head or bit Mina on the rump when she wasn't looking. It figured.
Kin finally snapped at the beetle a little too quickly, and he yipped in surprise at actually having the crunchy insect in his mouth. Rolling over, he hacked and spat it out, letting his tongue hang out of his mouth in disgust for good measure. Wing watched his friend curiously for a moment.
"What?"
"Ate a bug," Kin said dismissively. Wing shrugged. He knew all about eating bugs. They were fun to play with until you actually caught one when you didn't want it. Actually, for the most part, they didn't taste that bad. It was just the whole catching them when you still wanted to play with them thing.
Wing pulled himself up, pushing his chest out and doing his best to imitate a pack leader. "Well, I think we should–"
"Wing, Kin! There you guys are!"
Wing cringed and stumbled over as Mina's face suddenly appeared in the grass directly behind him. "AHHH, Mina!" He scrambled to his feet, trampling down grass and making sure to stand up a good distance away from his sister.
Kin sheepishly got to his feet, hoping there were no beetle pieces hanging out of his mouth. "Hi, Mina."
"Hey, Kin."
"Kin, what're you doing?" Wing asked, infuriated. "We don't want her here; you don't wanna encourage her!" He did his best to imitate the tone of voice his mother took with him whenever Kuro whined to her about Wing teasing him in front of his face.
Realizing what he was doing, Mina rolled her eyes. "C'mon guys, let me hang out with you. Please!" she whined, walking into the grass patch. Wing growled bad naturedly, but one dark look from Mina shut him up. She may have been a little smaller than him, but she definitely knew how to put her rows of needle-sharp teeth to use.
"Aren't you going to go play with Kuro or something?" Wing said, once he'd moved back a safe distance away from his sister's jaws. Kin watched the two siblings from the middle ground.
"Kuro," Mina said, emphasizing his name, "is playing with Kin's sisters. And Tama is off with Mr. Hiro or his mom or something, so I have nothing to do."
"Couldn't you go stick around with–"
Mina cut Wing off. "Dad is talking to some of his old friends, and mom is off hunting way out there. No; no I can't." She gave Wing a fierce look. "So you had better suck it up and let me stay with you guys, or else."
Wing scoffed, but at the same time, didn't push the issue. It was not good to make Mina mad. It took her a while to get fired up, but when she did, her temper rivaled their mother's. There was no telling what she'd do if she found him napping later on.
Kin scratched his ear with his back leg. "We'd better let her, Wing. If we don't, then she'll probably give us girly fleas or something."
Mina shot Kin a look, but nevertheless wagged her tail at his decision. "See, Wing? Kin doesn't mind. The only one who's being a spoiler is you."
Wing gave Kin a look much like the one Mina had given him earlier. Kin was going to pay for his choice later. Seeing the expression on his face, Kin gave Wing a small roll of his eyes and an ear twitch. Whatever.
"Fine," Wing said, voice filled with immature disdain, "you can come. But only because."
"Great!" Mina said happily. She plopped down the grass. "But come where?"
Both Kin and Wing blinked. Where? They hadn't been really thinking of going to any certain place, and for the most part, they'd been just spying on the adults out of their little grass patch. Even then, that had been pretty boring– no one was talking about any fights or doing anything other than lounge around.
"Weeeeell…" Kin said, drawing the word out and awkwardly averting his eyes.
Mina blinked, surprised, before she got a flat look of disbelief on her face.
"…you guys weren't doing anything, were you?"
"Kindof, no, n-not reeeeaaally…" Wing said, suddenly feeling very embarrassed and avoiding his sister's eyes.
"You guys're so unbelievable," Mina said, sounding disgusted. She huffed angrily, folding her paws over each other. "Well, in that case, we gotta find something to do. We don't know how long mom's going to let us go on like this, so we have to make the best of it."
"Don't tell me what to do," Wing said, but there was no real force in his snap. He was too busy thinking. Mina was right. They had to do something with their freedom before their mother went back to her bossy, protective self and had them nearby all the time. But what?
"Hey, it's Uncle GB and Grandpa Kurotora."
Both siblings raised their heads and turned to look at Kin, who was peering out of the grass.
"Who?" Wing asked.
"Uncle GB and Grandpa Kurotora," Kin repeated. "They're both old soldiers– well, Grandpa is; Uncle used to be a spy– who hang around the camp a lot." He lowered his voice conspiratorially. "I think Grandpa's just getting old and doesn't want to admit it."
Wing's eyes almost bulged out of his head. "A spy?"he squeaked. Soldiers were one brand of awe filling figures; spies were another. As far as Wing could tell, there were a whole lot less spies than them, which made the ones that existed extra special.
Mina tilted her head to the side. "So Grandpa Kurotora's just an old soldier?"
Kin lifted his head up and pulled his ears back to give Mina a pitying look that seemed to say, 'Poor, poor fool.'
"Just an old soldier? Pfft, not even close," he said, giving a shake of his head for emphasis. "Grandpa Kurotora fought the giant bear Akakabuto with everyone else, and his brother Akatora took out the monster's eye. He's like, the best– no the bestiest– soldier ever!" Kin paused, looking thoughtful. "Next to my dad and Gin, of course." he added.
Wing was practically trembling in anticipation. This was a brand new level of awe. Even Mina looked highly impressed. But it still didn't keep her from adding, "And our dad, too."
"And your dad, too," Kin amended.
Wing had had enough of sitting around. "Well, c'mon, let's go meet them!" he said, bouncing out of the grass patch. He was immediately followed after by a tumbling Kin and a neatly trotting Mina. Kin, spotting the faded stripes and splotchy black spots, took the lead. He ran off, yelping "Uncle! Grandpa!"
The puppies descended on the two like flies.
GB and Kurotora broke out of their conversation to look up at the advancing wave. Kurotora chuckled. "Well, if it isn't a pack of rogues."
GB perked up at Kin skidding to a stop in front of him. "Hey, kiddo, what's up?" He glanced over at Wing and Mina behind him. "These some of your new friends?"
"Uh-huh," Kin said happily, trying to catch his breath. "They're new."
Mina politely sat down in front of them, tail wagging. "My name is Mina. And this is my brother–"
"Wing!" Wing proudly introduced himself, getting up front with Kin.
"Cheh, you're Bat's lot, aren't you?" Kurotora asked with amusement. "I could've figured just as much."
"You know dad?" Mina asked.
Kurotora snorted. "You could say that."
GB chuckled. "Don't pay attention to Kurotora, he's just a sore old geezer," he said, noticing how Mina was hanging back from her far more curious companions, who were already pestering Kurotora with questions. "Come on up, then," he said fondly.
Mina had been slightly wary from her last encounter with an Ohu soldier, remembering how grumpy he'd been. He hadn't looked that old, either. Mr. Hiro and Mrs. Reika had been very nice, but they just didn't have the totally soldier feel to them like Kurotora did, and they weren't as old. Mina had feared that if a regular soldier could be that grumpy, an old, retired one would be much worse. But seeing he was already enthralling her brother and Kin with some kind of old war story, she decided it would be okay. Besides, the nice spotty mister was calling her over.
Mina trotted over, shyness quickly disappearing. She sat down by GB just in her time to hear her brother excitedly ask, "Did you really fight Akakarbota?"
"Wing!" she exclaimed. Kin nipped his new best friend on the ear. "You said it wrong, dummy," he scolded, while Kurotora chuckled in an old, raspy voice.
"Did not," Wing protested.
"Did too," Kin shot back. "My dad told me how to say it, and you didn't say it like he did."
"So?" Wing asked. He thought about his situation for a moment before coming up with the appropriate response. "My dad is awesomer than your dad."
"Is not," Kin growled.
Mina rolled her eyes from her new perch on GB's head and back, where she'd clambered up moments ago. Usually, she didn't do this with anyone other than her father, but then again, she hadn't met too many other adults than her parents to do so with. Mr.– or uncle– GB radiated absolute warmness and a kind of goofiness she rarely saw in her own parents, so she decided it would be okay to sit on his head. That and he wasn't trying to shake her off very hard.
"Is too," Wing said.
Kurotora did nothing to stop the argument, watching it. "Looks like we've already got two new soldiers," he said as Wing and Kin puffed their fur out to intimidate each other.
"More like two new fuzzbrains," Mina muttered as she tried to cling on GB's neck, pulling herself up on his stringy ear.
"Oi," GB said.
"My dad is awesomer," Kin said, trying to formulate an argument, "because he has an awesome nickname and fighting style tact thing."
"Oh really?" Wing said.
"Yeah, really," Kin said, having finally found his argument. "When other dogs hear about him, your dad is just called Bat. That's it. Or he's called Bat the Blind or something. But my dad," he said, lying the stress on each word, "isn't just called 'Hiro.' He's called Hiro the Bal–"
"Change of subject," GB said abruptly, cutting Kin off. Kurotora sniggered. "Come on, now," he said, noticing the disappointed and disgruntled looks on Kin and Wing's faces, "both of your dads are good soldiers… even though not they're not as good as I was. End of argument."
"Agreed," Mina said. "With most of it."
"Shut up, Mina." Wing said.
Mina stuck out her tongue triumphantly from GB's head, having finally gotten the settler to give up on shaking her off. She had her claws buried in his tender ear fur, and pulling or tipping the heavy little pup off was not a good move unless he wanted to be in pain. "You're just mad because you're not as tall as Mr. GB or mom and your fringy ears look stupid instead of nice and get caught in all the briars."
Wing started to growl at his sister, but quickly switched his anger to Kin, who was snickering behind him very unsympathetically. "Shut up, Kin."
"Oi, might want to let off the shut ups for now, kid, you don't want someone to go after you in your sleep," Kurotora said.
Wing settled for giving one more dirty look at both of his traitorous accomplices, particularly Kin, before he turned his attention back to Kurotora. "Anyways, did you fight Akaka– Akuka– Akraba– the giant bear near here?"
"Damned right I did," Kurotora said, fierce pride in his eyes and voice. "All of us in Gin's pack took that demon down not even a mile away, right on top of Gajou."
Mina settled down on GB's head, stretching out of her body and finally unhooking her blunt little claws from his ears. When he made movements to gently tip her off back on to the ground, she promptly put them back. GB groaned.
"Gajou?" she asked, getting comfortable.
Wing turned his attention from his sister back to Kurotora's scarred face. "Yeah, what is Gajou?
Kurotora looked surprised. "You don't know what Gajou is? Damn, Bat hasn't told you two anything." The older dog shifted his shoulders, preparing for a long talk. The puppies noticed it and plopped down on the ground, getting comfortable for the story. Finally, Kurotora cleared his throat and began.
"The first thing you need to know is…"
XXXX
Setsu walked around the edge of the camp, two guards flanking her. She glanced from side to side, but couldn't see much from being sandwiched in between the two large akitas that had come to get her. Their fluffy fur and broad chests were nearly impossible to see past without sticking her head out in front of them, and Setsu didn't want to do that. There was a better chance someone would see her if she did.
As they continued on, Setsu doing her best to match her strides to the akitas', they finally looped inwards and made for a small cave almost on the camp outskirts. Both the akitas took a quick look around and cautiously sniffed the air before they moved away from Setsu.
"Coast is clear, Great Container. We'll wait for you."
"It's unnecessary," Setsu responded coolly, eyeing the single guard positioned at the cave's dark entrance. "I don't require an escort back."
Both of the akitas gave suspicious glances at the guard, forcing him to turn his head away from them and lower his ears. One of them walked closer to her, putting its head down to her level.
"If someone were to see you…" the other akita said warningly, voice low. The other was still staring at the guard, making him unnaturally stiff and uncomfortable as he did as best to ignore Setsu and her guard consulting.
"That would pose no threat. I would tell them I was out on a walk, or on my designated exercise run. They wouldn't dare to question me." Setsu tipped her head condescendingly.
As the dog pulled away from her, the other stopped staring down the guard, making him visibly relax. The akitas didn't look fully convinced of her answer, but they nevertheless nodded their large heads at her and turned and left, trotting back into camp. Once they were gone, Setsu adjusted herself, flicking her ears and giving her fur a shake to fluff it out. She would have to radiate complete calmness and control in this meeting. Less than six dogs in the entire camp knew about this set-up, and she didn't intend on stretching the number by giving the cave guard something else to be suspicious about.
The guard stood to attention as Setsu advanced towards him, taking petite, controlled steps. She stopped short of the cave entrance. It was too dark to see anything.
"Great Container, here to see your aid, correct?" the guard asked.
"The one and only." Setsu said, lazily letting her eyes roam towards the inside of the cave and back away to the camp. She felt agitated. Why had she chosen this time of day to visit? The sun over the cave lip made it impossible to see anything inside in the resulting shadow.
The guard watched her for a moment before sticking his head into the cave. Setsu stood back, doing her best to suppress her impatience. After a brief pause, the guard pulled out again.
"Great Container, is your visit urgent?"
Setsu blinked at his question. What was he doing? She was the Container, coming to see her personal aid, who was supposed to be catering to her every want and need. Of course her visit was urgent.
"Yes," she said. "I demand to see my aid this instant."
The guard stiffened at the sudden agitation in her voice. "Great Container," he said pleadingly, "I am not trying to disrespect you in any way or form, m'am." Setsu saw him lick his nose nervously, shifting his weight on his front paws repeatedly. "But I suggest you return to check on your aid later."
Something about how the guard was trying to avoid her eyes made her extremely uncomfortable. Setsu could feel her fur prickling. It usually made her angry or annoyed when someone she was speaking to refused to look at her face. What was this chill?
"I still demand to see him," Setsu said. She heard her voice come out just as commanding as before, even though she hadn't told it to.
The guard winced. Finally, he took a deep breath, trying to hide it from Setsu. She noticed, but pretended she hadn't. "Great Container, if you would please step this way."
Setsu recoiled slightly, looking at the guard standing in the entrance of the dark, small cave. "He's not coming out?"
The guard looked at her oddly. "No. If you wish to see your aid, you must enter." His ears perked up hopefully. "But if you've changed your mind–"
"I'm going in," Setsu said flatly, walking forward and brushing past the guard. She thought she heard him stutter something and bite it back, but he didn't follow her.
Once she was out of the sun and fully into the cave, guard no longer standing outside the front, she shuddered. Setsu wished she still had the extra fur on her belly, and everywhere else, too. The dankness of the cave was completely unlike her own den. Hers was merely damp and cool. This cave was filled with an overwhelmingly sour, heavy air.
Setsu paused. She cocked her ears, and immediately sucked in air. She could hear a feeble, hindered breathing sound up ahead. It pulled in and out rhythmically, being punctuated by a shudder at the end of every inhale. There was a dim outline of a body laying stretched out in the floor, chest softly rising and falling. Setsu realized that this meant he was sleeping.
Normally, she would've approached and screamed at him to get up, or have had another guard roll him over. Then again, Haloo never slept on the job, or during the day, period. He was late, sure, but he didn't sleep. Setsu had often wished he would, just to shut up for a while, but he there was some sort of boundless energy that kept him staying wide awake, no matter what. Sleeping in the day while there were still things to be done was some sort of cardinal sin that would get you sent straight to hell.
Setsu suddenly wanted out of the cave.
She turned and went for the entrance, realizing she was dashing in spite of herself. She barely managed to slow herself down before she left the cave entrance. The guard looked at her oddly.
"He was sleeping," Setsu said, forcing her breathing and words to be regular. She held up her head high, in case the guard was doubting her calmness. He merely nodded.
"He does that when he can."
Setsu blinked, then shook her head, ready to leave. She turned away. "Thank you for your assistance," she said crisply. "I'm going to–"
There was the sound of claws clicking in the cave.
Setsu whirled around. She stared in horror, feeling her fur set on edge. The guard stood up. He narrowed his eyes, growling. "No you don't. Go back to sleep. You're in no condition to be doing this."
"I'm… I'm awake… let… let me out…"
Haloo blinked slowly in surprise as he entered the sunshine. "Con…tain…er?"
Haloo didn't look like Haloo any more. Her aid's usually bright and puppish eyes were dull and glazed over, making him seem almost blind. Every single step he took was a wobble, and his legs seemed ready to fold under him at any second. His fur was mussed up from laying on the floor in different positions, but he hadn't bothered to groom it. Wrinkling her nose in disgust, Setsu realized that the sour smell wasn't the cave's– it was his.
"Haloo, how did–" Setsu found her voice closing off.
Haloo made an attempt to wag and show happiness at hearing his name as the guard tried to get him to go back into the cave. All that happened was two small jerks of the limp thing that was supposed to be his tail. "I'm… feelin'… kind of…"
Suddenly, Haloo staggered to the right, violently retching into the nearby weeds. The guard stepped back to give him some space. Setsu herself felt like being sick.
"Is he going to–"
"Give him a few minutes," the guard said dismissively, a look of disgust crossing his face as Haloo continued to gag.
Setsu tried to pull her eyes away from Haloo's spasming, trembling body, his head down in the grass, shivering tail tucked between his legs.
"Is it going to be fatal?" she asked, feeling a horrible fear sink into her belly.
The guard, misunderstanding why her words were so fearful, walked over to the now finished Haloo, prodding the rubber legged dog back towards the cave. "No," he said somewhat comfortingly, "your aid is going to be fine, give or take a few days."
Haloo tried to protest being put back in the cave, glassy eyes still moving sluggishly, when he suddenly burst free of the guard's hold and lunged into the nearest bush. Setsu winced at the splattering sound that followed.
The guard looked at his shaking form sympathetically. "Don't know what he ate or came down with, but it'll be out of his system soon enough. It's definitely non-lethal."
Setsu couldn't move.
"Still," the guard continued, "it's good that you or your other guards made him come here so we could isolate him. In this state he's so weak he's practically open to anything."
Haloo's horrible retching finally came to a shuddering stop.
Setsu took several steps back, seeing the unconcerned guard looking at her and the dull eyed Haloo pulling his head out of the bush, a line of drool leaking out of his mouth.
"I have to go," she said, backing up further.
"Alright," said the guard, bowing briefly in submission, "Great Container."
Setsu was running away as he finished the bow, unable to force herself to walk as the guard shoved Haloo back into the cave, as he spluttered something else before he was finally pushed back in. She found herself slowing down when she nearer to the middle of the camp outskirts, but any greetings that were given to her fell on deaf ears. She felt like the world was swarming around her.
When she finally reached her den, she felt relief. She was home, wasn't she? Yet when she took a single step into her cave, she immediately smelled the sour smell of the herb in the air, and remembered the belly cramps and Haloo eagerly eating everything. She found herself wanting to puke, and panicking, till Setsu finally turned away and took off running into the woods as fast as she could go, in the opposite direction of the last border patrol.
XXX
"Is it time?"
"Soon, very soon."
"But it's been so long."
"Too long since we passed ourselves."
"It will happen; they've prepared the Container."
"Soon we'll be free. We've bided our time, bided our time."
"Our time, our time. Soon we'll be free in the world, in the world!"
The Grandmaster felt the voices silence. Pawing at the ground helped drown out their incessant chatter. The Conclave, the collective essence of her ancestors, had waited long enough. A weary cough choked her throat. All around her, she could feel her body age. The light of youth had long left her eyes. Once long ago, she was young and restless, ready to take the position of Grandmaster. That happened upon her father's death, and she received the gift of the Conclave.
Her father, now there was a Grandmaster. The Clan had remained in the shadows for too long. So long that restlessness had grown out amongst the younger more foolhardy members of the Clan. A good Grandmaster knew how to keep the rabble quieted, knew how to prevent the seeds of rebellion. That was exactly what her father had done. Such command he carried. None dared to oppose him. There was so much she had learned from him. When the title was bestowed to her, she strived to live up to what her father had been. In time she would pass on the title to her own worthy child.
Yet, that wasn't to be.
That damned sickness! Had it not stricken her, she wouldn't have been reduced to a sterile bitch. Without a proper heir, the Grandmaster line would end with her. All at once, she felt the crushing memories and emotions from that day once more. Their had yet to come then, to lead her clan at such a time would be unacceptable, suicide even. Hope had almost left her entirely.
Yet the Conclave offered their wisdom. That wisdom, was the Container. Such a perfect backup plan: Raise a female, have her undertake the proper rituals and conditioning. In other words, a perfect replacement body. However, only those with the proper...soul would be able to contain the pure power of the Conclave.
What was the name of the previous attempt? That name no longer mattered; the body of that failure pup had been tossed into the boneyard to rot. Setsu would be the one. Giddiness spread throughout her old frame. It felt like her younger days had returned to her once more.
"Grandmaster!"
The elder turned her ancient head towards the sound of Cain's voice. Cain, such a loyal and devoted son. He very well may have been her son. After all, he had filled the void that sterility had left her with. More memories danced about, Cain's puphood days. Really those were the only moments where she would show tenderness.
In time, Cain had grown to be the very dog to suit her needs. The needs for the Container rather.
"Cain, what is it?" She asked with traces of elatedness in her voice. Then she noticed the way Cain's body tensed itself. The young dog looked at his grandmaster with a feeling in his eyes. "Cain?"
Now she could see the emotion: panic. "Grandmaster! The Container! She's gone!"
The Grandmaster felt her eyes widen, her brittle bones sensitive to bodily action. Good memories went up in smoke that very instant. This couldn't be happening; it shouldn't be happening. Soon she found herself following Cain to Setsu's chamber.
"She's still there, she's still there." The Grandmaster reassured herself. It was all she could do for her poor heart. When she arrived, she found several guards stationed at the chamber opening.
"Out of my way!" She ordered and they obeyed.
They bowed their heads respectively, but the Grandmaster had no time for their signs of loyalty. Setsu was right there, she would see everything was alright. To her horror she found her hopes and dreams destroyed right then and there. Nervously her eye twitched at the barren chamber.
Fury overtook her, turning around she glared angrily at the assembled dogs. "WHERE IS SHE!" bellowed the female.
The guards were taken aback by their leader's wrath. Most had not seen her this furious and some believed doing so would be to much for her old body.
"Well?" Her voice softened a little but the anger still remained evident.
The guards looked at one another, too petrified to give an answer. The Grandmaster nearly barked again until Cain spoke.
"This one saw her last." He gestured to the guard who showed the most fear.
The Grandmaster gave a scoff of disgust as she approached the soldier. The others backed away keeping their heads bowed all the same. Underneath her glare, the guard muttered something, prayers or lining up excuses, not that they would help him now in his position.
"Look at me!" She commanded.
The guard had no choice but to obey the voice of his grandmaster. Fearfully gazing upward, he could still see his scared reflection staring back at him. In the grandmaster's eyes, he had never seen such fury before in his life, yet at the same time she managed to contain it.
"Do you realize what you have just done?" The Grandmaster spoke as if she were reprimanding a puppy. The guard said nothing only looking down at his paws. "I SAID LOOK AT ME!" The extremity of the tone brought his head back up again.
Whimpers shook his body as he attempted to plead his case. Tears actually ran down his face, as he knew that those who displeased the Grandmaster were met with a terrible fate.
"I'm sorry, my Grandmaster! I-I-I just made a mistake, it wasn't my fault!" came the guards excuse.
The Grandmaster's body relaxed that instant. The guard could no longer feel the fury that had previously been evident. Perhaps he had been forgiven? Yes, that had to be it. After all it was a mistake, a mistake he was very sorry for, but he could prove himself. Yes! The Grandmaster would assuredly show some mercy to a truly repentant soldier.
"Kill him." Came the blunt response.
The guards eyes bulged as the other guards dragged him up by the scruff of his neck. "No please! It was a mistake!" He pleaded again, even wept.
"Do it away from here." The Grandmaster added to the order.
The guard merely stared in horror as he was dragged away into the darkness. Now that the matter was out of the way, the Grandmaster had more important ones to attend to. "Find her, do whatever it takes."
Cain didn't need to be told that. He would have gladly done it, anything for the sake of his clan and grandmaster. "Consider it done." He reverently bowed.
The Grandmaster smiled and rubbed her paw against his head, something she hadn't done since Cain was a puppy. Cain felt the familiar feeling and was surprised by it. Surprised, and a tad embarrassed. Thank goodness no one was watching, at least he hoped.
"Such a loyal son you are." The Grandmaster praised.
Cain didn't know how to react to that word, he merely bowed once more and went off to obey his orders. The Grandmaster sighed pleasantly to herself. Setsu would have to return with Cain. After all, they were destined for one another.
XXX
Alucard kept his distance from the other members of the Clan for quite some time. It was just as it was when he was first recruited as a young pup. His red eyes adjusted well to the darkness of the caverns. In some way it soothed him, felt like the only place he could truly feel at home. He couldn't feel any comfort, not since that day.
"Mayu...Mao."
He thought about them a lot. At first he had tried to put them out of his mind, just as he had done with his deceased owners. The more he did however, the more the memories just came back to him. It made him feel guilty for putting aside such tender memories. The latter, he had gone to the boneyard before, the stench of the many years of death permeating his nose. Mao's tortured body laid amongst the bones and still rotting corpses. He would only glance momentarily to see where the Saluki's body might be, but would always walk away as silently as he came.
Then there was Mayu. Luckily for him, no one had caught on that he was the one who had helped her escape. Or they did know but kept him along for some reason. Whatever the case, Mayu had escaped with her life into the unknown wild. What was she doing now? Was she safe? Was she happy?
He growled in frustration. Why did he think of this now? They were gone end of story. There it was again. As he tried to hide those emotions, they came back in full fury. Those two pups were like siblings to him, a brother and a sister that he taught and kept safe. As well they gave him hope and comfort in this dreary place.
Suddenly he heard movement. Shapes moved about in the dark. Voices sprang up from the shadows.
"She's really gone?"
"What will happen to the Clan?"
"Don't speak such nonsense, we'll get her back!"
That last voice belonged to Cain. The way they moved with such urgency, Alucard knew right away whom "she" refereed to.
"Alucard?" Cain's voice called through the dark.
Alucard kept still, making some think he was sleeping.
"I know you're awake, blood drinker."
Alucard opened his eyes, their red glow shining like little lamps. "Yeah Cain?" He asked with no particular interest in his voice. Partly he wanted to toy with Cain a bit. The Grandmaster's personal "pet" was always fun to jerk him around due to his dutifulness.
"The Container has escaped." Cain bluntly explained.
Alucard raised another eye. "Oh? Is that so?"
Cain nodded, not seeing he was being toyed with, that or not caring. "I need you for the search party, your skills would be most useful."
"What about Drake?" Alucard asked, "surely the child eater would be interested in hunting down a stray member of the flock."
"Drake is away with his own duties. Lazarus is busy teaching so I need you."
That last bit almost sounded like a plead. Made perfect sense, seeing as Cain's position was something many members tried to sweet talk their way to. That and the Container was important for the Clan's future. Without her, they wouldn't survive. Alucard didn't see a problem with that, but he kept that bit of personal feelings to himself. Really he had no choice but to go along with it.
"Very well, you can count on me."
A great group left that day to seek out the wayward Setsu. She could run, but she wouldn't get far. Her scent still hung in the air.