Chapter 25

Wandering the streets of the ruined city outside of the safety zone just beyond it's southern gate the air was heavy with iron. Blood stained the sidewalks and roads where many had fallen to the jaws of wild beasts. The deeper into the ruins he went the heavier the air of death was to the point the faint of heart would probably collapse from the mere shock alone. The towering trees around the ruin of the buildings cast a purple light over the street that seemed to mix with the light of the day making it seem eerie to one's eye. It was no wonder to Gunner that the guards and Prince Clyde would try to hide what it was like on the outside of the wall from the survivors they secured.

Clack. Clack. Clack.

The sounds of nails could be heard hitting against the pavement as something walked behind him. Turning his head to glance in the direction of the sound he could see a large black hell hound staring him down with a faint growl under it's breath. It's dead white eyes did not seem like it was going to attack on impulse but it was clear as day that the beast was staring him down with hunger behind it's gaze. Preparing himself for the worst case that he was about to be chased he stared right back into the hell hound's white eyes. Taking a closer look at the beast it seemed as though it was malnourished and starving to death. There was no sound of others behind the hound because it was hunting alone.

"Not going to fight me?" Gunner asked the beast as it stood there in silence.

Ggrrrr!

The hell hound bellowed out a loud growl as it bared it's sharp fangs out at Gunner.

"Well come on then! Let's see if you can keep up to even try!" Gunner shouted with a smirk as he turned and took off running at full speed.

Running as fast as he could through the streets of Abaron city he could hear the hungry growl of the hell hound behind him as it tried hard to keep up with him. It was clear from the way it was running that the beast was desperate for food. As they passed trash on the streets while running the beast would just body slam it's way through without bothering to dodge. The muscle's on the beast would wince in pain but the jaws of the beast still drooled and growled out in desperation to keep up with Gunner. Gaining speed as it's nailed clanked against the cement ground below it's feet they soon found themselves running side by side as the hell hound bellowed out a heavy growl.

Glancing over to his right to see the beast running beside him with a look of desperation in it's eyes he turned to run in a different direction. It did not take the hell hound long to shift it's own direction to follow him. Grasping onto a tree in order to climb up higher away from the ground he began to ascend his way upward. Sounds of growling and what resembled a bark came from the ground below as the beast tried to climb it's own way up with him only to repeatedly fall back down.

Finding a place high enough to relax and let his guard down just enough to lean back against the tree he gazed down at the starving beast. The more the hell hound struggled it soon exposed a deep scar that covered it's left shoulder under the light of the sun. At the sudden appearance of the mark that had scarred the beast Gunner could not help but recall the beast he had drove his own knife into not long ago. He had never gotten to kill the hell hound because it was already weak from starvation and had fled after becoming wounded from him.

"So.. That was you, huh?" Gunner thought out loud as he continued to stare down at the beast.

Gggrrrrr!

The beast growled out as loud as it could as if to desperately let out it's own frustration at not being able to climb up after him.

"I guess I should call you something if we're going to keep meeting like this, Jaegar." Gunner thought out loud as he decided on something to call the beast that he had now met for a second time. Reaching into his own pocket he pulled out a dried piece of meat and tossed it to the ground below where the beast stood desperate for food. The second the food hit the ground the hell hound, Jaegar, grabbed it and scoffed it down so quick that Gunner was certain the beast did not even chew. It felt like luck was on Jaegar's side that he did not choke to death by how quick he forced it down.

"You know if someone caught me feeding you they would probably string me up." Gunner muttered under his breath as he sat there watching. He did not have any more food on him because the food he had tossed he had been saving for later. The meat he had with him might have been a common food in the safety zone but that did not mean it came in great numbers. He still had to secure his own food stored back to survive on like everyone else. Wasting food was something the survivors could not afford to do.

Sitting down as it stared up at Gunner there was a look of desperation as if it was begging for any further bit of food Gunner had to fall in his direction. When it realized Gunner was not going to toss anything more down to him Jaegar growled fiercely as if it was trying to order him to throw more. Standing back up to desperately dig it's nails into the base of the tree causing bark to fly about the air. It was unclear if he wanted to eat Gunner or just wanted to seem like a demanding tyrant declaring to be fed on the spot.

"Hey! Stop that, Jaegar!" Gunner yelled down at Jaegar causing the beast to wince slightly at the sudden shout.

It was not that the beast feared mankind but it was already so weak that it knew it could not fight without putting it's life on the line. The memory of Gunner was still strong in Jaegar's mind and he did not want to become wounded again at the hands of the same human that had wounded him once before. A loud huff of air could be heard as the beast planted it's rear end to the ground.