Chap 13. The fallen keep

My eyes would droop ever so often, but the cold blizzard kept me from falling asleep on Kiba's back. We all trudged through the snow that seemed to keep getting higher. I glanced behind us to look at the others to see if they were okay. Blue and Toboe were falling behind, to sleepy to say anything I glanced at Hige. He then followed my gaze to the other two.

"Hey Kiba!" Hige yelled up to him, Kiba ignored him.

"Stop and listen to him..." I barely whispered. Kiba stopped and turned around.

"Come on Kiba, we should stop." Hige said. "Theres two girls and a little kid with us." Kiba just stared at him, thinking.

"Watch." Hige said turning in my direction. "Rexy you're a wimp." I let out a whine then shut my eyes.

"See!" Hige said. "She can't even defend herself like she always!"

"It's not MY fault." I said to Hige.

"Oh get over it." He said. I whimpered again, and Kiba growled.

"Hey guys!" Toboe said. "Look theres shelter over there, you're all angry because you're tense and tiered. We looked toward where he pointed and then trudged over that way. Once we got there I noticed it was a bunch of rock like things piled up, but it was warmer then outside. Everyone settled down, and Kiba set my down next to Hige. I fidgeted and turned away from him so Hige growled and rolled his eyes.

"We can go once the storm clears up." Tsume said.

"It already has." Kiba said looking out to the storm before running off I panicked and tried to stand, now in wolf form since I was to hurt to keep the human form up, but I didn't even budge. I watched as Kiba ran off, I wanted to go to but I couldn't even move. I sat my head down and shut my eyes, and soon I fell to sleep.

I woke up felling refreshed and no longer tiered. I got up and tested my leg it was a little sore and stiff but definitely healing, it was already beginning to scab.

"At least it's not going to scar." I said quietly, I looked around surprised to see every one else asleep. I walked over to Hige and started to paw at him.

"Hey the storm is over." I whispered to him. He sleepily lifted his head and looked at me.

"Rexy I'm sorry about the cliff." He said making sure the others were asleep. "I should have apologized."

"Its no probe." I said. "Go back to sleep." Hige then laid his head down and fell back asleep. I looked out of the cave toward the exit and before I knew it I was running across the snow following Kiba's scent, alone. I made sure I left my paw prints in the snow so the others could find me, I only prayed it didn't snow again. I ran it seems like for a long time, I stopped and sat down in human form to let my leg rest. I then inhaled.

"He went this way…I think." I sighed. "Stupid storm! Messed up the scent." I staggered up, still in human form and started to walk in that direction. I then heard the screeching sound of tiers as they stopped. Before I had time to look in the direction of the car, a bullet it the ground around my feet. I yelped and fell on my rear.

"Dang wolf!" I heard a voice yell oh-no not now! It was the wolf hunter, Blue's old owner. I froze in fear like a deer in headlights. Another human got out of the car, mumbling "Not again." or something like that.

"Quent, she doesn't look like a wolf to me." He said.

"That's because she cast that human form spell on us." Quent, I suppose his name is, said. "She's A wolf all right. She was with that young boy with the auburn colored hair." Toboe!? Quent turned towards me and aimed his gun at me. I shut my eyes waiting for the end, but there was just a click when he pulled the trigger. I opened my eyes he was out of bullets, he started to dig through his pockets looking for more. I tried to get up but I fell again.

"Curse it all!" I screamed angry now. Quent, the man that got out, and now a woman that was still in the car looked at me. I then noticed the woman; she was the one in the forest that tried to get Cheza away from us. I looked at her and let a growl surpass my lips.

"Hubb…" The woman whispered.

"What is it Cher?" The man who I guessed was Hubb asked.

"She's one of those kids that ran off with Cheza." Cher replied.

"So…" Hubb began to say.

"She is a wolf." Quent said with a smirked. I snarled and jumped up in wolf form now and dashed toward Quent, I jumped dodging a bullet, and with my paw I hit Quent's gun out of his hands which sent it flying. While Quent went running for his gun, I ran toward the car knocking Hubb down to the ground, and nearly jumped through the open car door window. I wasn't in the car completely but I leaned in towards Cher and I looked her in the eyes.

"Leave Cheza alone." I growled. "She's with us."

"Why?" Cher asked.

"She's going to lead us to paradise." I said more calmly. Cher gasped quietly. "Well, I guess Ill see you at Darcia's keep." I said. Cher looked up.

"How did you know we were going there?" She asked.

"I to am going there." I growled. "Remember what I said, leave Cheza alone or I will deal with the issue myself." I jumped away from the window turning to Quent.

"If you even touch one hair on Toboe's head I will personally kill you!" I snarled. I then turned and made a mad dash in the direction Kiba's scent went, leaving the three humans in shock. What did I just do!? I ran faster then I ever had, with adrenaline pulsing through my blood. Once the keep came into view I slowed down and started to walk. My leg stung and my wrist throbbed. I looked at my leg, the scab had cracked a little and it now was bleeding. I shook it off, then continued toward the keep.

"Anyone home?" I asked sarcastically when I entered the keep. I wondered around for a few minutes, until I finally found Kiba's scent.

"He's here all right." I whispered following the scent I then caught the warming smell of lunar flowers. Cheza was here to. I started to push harder against the slick floor, with my paws making a clicking sound against the strange ground, towards the flower smell. I changed into my human form mid run and opened the door in front of me. I walked in cautiously.

"Stop!" Kiba said to a noble who I guessed was Darcia, which was holding a sword to Cheza's throat. I went to wolf form, since Kiba was also, and let a growl out of my throat. Kiba turned in my direction with a murderous glare on his wolf face but it softened up a bit when he saw it was me. I gasped when I saw the long cut on the right side of his face. Darcia looked at me, while I slowly walked to Kiba's side.

"Where are the others?" Kiba asked never taking his eyes off of Darcia.

"I came alone." I said silently. Kiba looked at me now; I put a sad face on.

"They were sleeping, and they just would have slowed me down…" I whispered sadly.

"Rexy." Kiba lowly growled. "You could have gotten hurt."

"But I didn't." I said. A bullet clinked on the ground near our feet, as Quent ran through the door. "Completely…" I mumbled. Cher and Hubb ran in to, Cher gasped at seeing Cheza so close to doom. I growled.

"I told you to stay out of our business!" I yelled at her. Kiba jumped in front of me growling at Quent. Quent aimed his gun at Kiba.

"That's right" Quent mumbled. "Protect you're mate." I heard the click in the gun as he prepared to fire.

"No don't!" I heard a familiar voice and before we knew it Blue was in front of us protecting us from Quent's gunfire. Quent looked up disbelieving what his old dog just did or the fact that she was here.

"Blue?" Quent asked.

"Rexy! What the heck!" Hige yelled angrily running in the room with the others.

"Sorry!" I growled. "But I had to come!" The ground started to shake a little.

"Now what!?" Tsume growled lowly.

"My lord Darcia!" Said Darcia's servant that I just now noticed. Darcia looked just in time to see the servant blown to bits by a big laser from an air ship. Kiba jumped back toward Hige and the others. I was frozen to where I was.

"Rexy, come on!" My whole pack yelled at the same time. I ran and jumped over the gap in the floor before it became even bigger. I landed on my face but at least I made it but now the gap was so big nothing could get across. Blue and Cheza were on the other side.

"Cheza!" Kiba yelled.

"Blue, no!" Hige yelled. Cher and Hubb ran over to Cheza, and Hubb picked her up and ran out the door.

"Why Blue?" Quent asked his old dog, Blue just stared before there was another explosion and then she ran after Cher and Hubb.

"We got to get out of here!" I screamed over the loud explosions. Every one agreed so we ran out the door running through the many the many hallways.

"This way!" Kiba yelled running down a hallway but before anyone could follow him, there was another explosion and our way through the hallway was blocked, and once again I was separated from Kiba.

"Kiba!" Tsume and I yelled unison.

"What do we do now?!" Hige asked.

"How am I supposed to know?" I asked.

"Improvise!" Hige yelled over the explosions. I put my hands over my ears and started to whine.

"I don't know!" I said. "Ask Tsume!"

"Come on guys!" Toboe said. "Standing around isint doing anything."

"Well there is only one way now…" I said pointing straight. "Down this hall…" We ran down the hallway but then a high pitched sound met our ears. I yelp grabbing my head again as did Toboe. Everything went white as I whited out…

I woke up lying on the ground, with my left leg bleeding since the wound was ripped open again. I unsteadily sat up, the keep was no more and to make it worse I didn't know where we were or where Kiba and Blue were. No one was saying anything; the only sound was Toboe howling out to Kiba. I stood up on my shaking legs, in wolf form, threw my head up and howled a long mournful howl…