Chapter 4

A Day On The Town

Hey everyone thank you for reading. Aw man summer is almost over I hope I finish this story before it ends. Well here is the next chapter I hope you enjoy. I really have no clue where I am going with this story if you have any suggestions please leave a comment in the reviews, thank you.

"We are going into town." Kiba announced the next morning, rousing Emi from her slumber. Emi moaned as she opened her eyes the light harsh and painful against them.

"What?" she asked as the others bustled around her. Toboe smiled at her.

"We are going into a town today Emi, come on you have got to get up." Emi perked up suddenly on high alert, her mind reeling at the idea of the city. They didn't go into town often and humans fascinated Emi, such strange creatures. Emi scrambled to her feet and looked outside. It was beautiful, blue skies, white clouds; it was warm with the perfect amount of wind. Emi took a deep breath, letting the smell of the early spring morning and wet soil wash over her. Emi stared into the distance trying to find the city ahead of them. Tsume walked up behind her.

"It's over there, can you see it?" he pointed to her left and there, on the horizon she could see little more than a dot that was the great domed city. The sky was only slightly discolored around it.

"I wonder what it's like." Emi said imagining each individual human, living their own individual unique life, despite the fact that there were thousands of them each one was different.

"Crowded, boring, polluted and annoying." Tsume said flatly staring at the cloud of grey sky that surrounded the city. "Trust me kid it's not all that interesting." Emi gave him a quick glare letting the kid comment slide before turning back to adore the city.

"Ok," Kiba said once they were all ready to go. "We are going to have to be careful not to get into trouble in this next town." He said staring at each of them in turn his gaze landing on Emiko. "And remember everyone will stay with at least one buddy, and under no circumstances, any, are you to run off on your own." He finished talking more to Emi then the rest of them. Emi crossed her arms like a child and mumbling under her breath.

"I'm already 12 by human years that's gotta be like 100 by dog years." Kiba gave a gentle, quite smile before turning back to the others.

"Is everybody ready?"

"Yes!" they all replied as one, their enthusiasm levels ranging from high to low. They set off running swiftly towards the city, slowing just a little for Emi to keep up. It wasn't long until they reached the city, stopping at its gates.

"Ok remember, we are looking for food, materials, or anything else that would be helpful." They all nodded. "Hige you are with Tsume, Toboe you are with me, and Blue you are with Emi. Meet back here in hours." They all nodded again. "let's go." They all walked inside and separated taking different main streets.

I'm not a child. Emi thought as she walked casually down the street. I don't need a babysitter. They use to all split up before I came along. I don't need aunt Blue taking care of me. Emi watched Blue move swiftly and silently through the crowd of humans, sliding wallets and money out of their pockets before they could realize. Emi watched in awe for a moment she was so graceful it was as if they couldn't even tell she was there. Blue walked up to her again and held up one particularly thick wallet.

"What do you say we go buy you a nice new shirt? Ripped and tattered might suite the boys but I think we deserve something a little nicer." She said with a wink. Emi smiled. She could always count on Blue to make the day exciting. They walked down the street towards one of the larger buildings as a yell erupted from the mass of people behind them. Emi could have sworn she heard something like. 'my wallet!' and 'help I've been robbed' but she couldn't be sure as she and blue just smiled and walked. All in all they spent about an hour messing around in the market/mall. They ended up with two new shirts one for each of them, and a few bags of food. Emi waited on a nearby bench making sure to keep in Blue's sight, as she stared up happily at the artificial sky painted its deceitful blue.

Could humans really find peace in such a thing? Was it really possible to obtain bliss in ignorance? So strange, they had the technology to fly and race, and do just about anything, yet they wasted it on guns and false security. Thinking if they didn't acknowledge the monsters in the dark they didn't exist, but ignoring something didn't make it go away, monsters still lurked in shadows actually. Blue once told her about how Toboe defeated a giant Walrus monster that was trying to kill them. She said, it was amazing, all the others had tried but they couldn't so much as scratched it until Toboe killed it, all on his own. Emi dreamed of doing that one day. She imagined being the hero, instead of the victim, the protector instead of the protected. She returned her attention to Blue who was approaching her with a smile.

"Close your eyes." She demanded. Emi raised an eyebrow.

"Why?" she inquired.

"I got you something." Blue said as her smile grew reaching ear to ear. Emi obeyed her superior and closed her eyes tightly and felt something close around her neck. When she opened her eyes she found she was wearing the most gorgeous sapphire necklace she had ever seen. Emi opened her mouth to speak but no words came out.

"I saw it and thought of you, it fits you perfectly." She said pushing her light, thin brown hair back behind Emi's ear. "You look lovely." She stated, staring at Emi's pale skin that they had washed for the first time in ages in one of the store bathrooms.

"Thanks," Emiko said with a blush unsure of how to react.

"HEY!" Kiba called out as he and Toboe ran towards them. "imagine running into you at a place like this." He said jokingly. Toboe glanced over Emi a few times before turning to Blue.

"Alright where is Emi? You replaced her with a look alike." Emi giggled.

"So what did you guys get?" Kiba asked eyeing the bags in Blue's hands. They quickly explained what they had all gotten taking a mental inventory.

"Oh Emi," Kiba said as he rummaged through another bag. "We got you this." He said as he held up a plain zippo lighter. Emi took it in her hand, twirling it between her fingers staring in awe of the shiny piece of silver. "We figured it will be helpful when you need to cook your food." Emi smiled and nodded her head enthusiastically.

"Thank you, thank you so much." She flipped it open hitting the button and red, blue flames erupted from the top. She stared awe struck by the pretty flame before shutting it and slipping it into her tattered jeans pocket.

"I think it's about time we go meet up with Tsume and Hige, hopefully they haven't killed each other." Kiba said with a smile as they turned to walk down the street. Despite the fact that they were in their human forms, Emi could see them as wolves from behind, unable to forget them as how they really were.

I can't wait to show this off to uncle Hige. She thought. He was going to be jealous. Suddenly there was a loud bang from behind that caused them all to spin around. Emi felt something small, like a bullet wiz past her head the wind brushing her hair. A Man stood behind them a shot gun in hand.

"I found you; I'm not letting you get away this time." He said, his words slurred as if he were drunk. He fired another round that barely missed Kiba.

"Run!" Kiba yelled as they all dashed down the street. People scurried around them, panicked and confused. More people with guns approached from the side streets, dressed in black riot gear. Emi tried to remain calm and focus on running however, she began to panic, and her heart beat heavily in her chest, louder and louder, everything was so loud, everything became a blur, the noise, the people, the guns.

Until all she heard was the steady rhythmic beating of her heart. The steady drumming growing faster and faster, until it matched her footsteps that echoed through her ears. Although she was running as fast as she could she still brought up the rear of the pack unable to match their pace. Everything seemed to move so slowly, each step and noise, each gunshot and random person. She was yanked back into reality when they rounded a corner and dashed down an alleyway. The drunken man had vanished he had been stopped by the men in black who were shooting and chasing them.

They neared the end of the alley when Emi's foot hit a crack and she stumbled a few feet trying to regain her balance, the men so close behind she thought she could feel their breath on her neck. Something wrapped around her wrist and yanked her back forcing her off her feet and she stumbled backwards trying not to fall. More hands grabbed her, restraining her arms and legs. Blue skidded to a stop and turned back to her growling, as she tackled one of the men in wolf form, biting and clawing, as did the others. The others did the same and they alley became a blur of hands, teeth and claws. Despite their efforts, each time one person let go of Emi someone else managed to grab hold and she was unable to break free. Tears began to stream down her cheeks as she struggled against her captures. More people rounded the corner guns fired and the pack retreated to the end of the alley giving Emi one last sad look, in that look Emi knew it was useless, they had to retreat or suffer the same fate. A tear formed in their eyes before they turned and sped down the street. Only half of the humans chased after them the other handful stayed with Emi.

"She's human." One of them said. "She tried to protect them," said another as they erupted with talking. "Treason," "take her to Erin," "death," "noble," "punishment," Emiko couldn't make sense of their words, her heart still hammered loudly in her chest and she was suffering from a massive headache. Her vision was blurred with tears and she went limp in their arms, giving up. Emi didn't struggle as they loaded her into the back of a truck locking her inside. She curled up in the corner, everything was dark, just like the cave, there was one small barred foot long window that let in only one slender beam of light. Emi sat there waiting to see what would happen. They were taking her to the noble Erin. What would she say? Would she sentence her to death for being a wolf?

It's not fair. Emiko thought. IT'S JUST NOT FAIR! She screamed out in her mind as she clenched her hands into fists, her nails cutting into her palms. Why do I have to die? I don't want to die! The only sound was the truck as it rolled over the gravel and dirt road that led to the noble's palace. Emi climbed to her feet and stumbled towards the window as the tuck tossed and turned beneath her and she struggled to keep her balance. What will happen to me? What would Erin do to me? Will I ever get to see my pack again? Emi thought daring to think her deepest fears, Will I even live to see tomorrow?

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