Chapter 3: Guarding the Way of the Alpha

Nightfall fell faster than anyone would've expected. Dr. Harrison sighed as she looked over the window of her third story apartment. She watched the city lights reflect off the wet window, for it'd been raining since that afternoon. She'd had a stressful day at the Institution.

From capturing an elusive Jaguar to gathering various medicines throughout the city, she was satisfied staying home with her Persian cat, Reiko and a glass of red wine.

Wearing nothing but a tank top and a pair of comfortable boy shorts, the researcher took a sip of wine from her glass, before taking off her glasses. For some reason, she couldn't relax fully. Her mind kept getting preoccupied with the event she encountered with the Arctic Wolf.

["I don't need you to tell us that."

The researcher's eyes widened with shock and disbelief.

There was no logical reasoning behind what she heard.

Right?

Animals can't talk.

Well they can. Just not in the way that Humans can! Right?

No.

She clearly heard the low and rumbling voice of the Dog, who seemed to be staring right through her soul.

"Wait! W-What did you mean by that?!" she yelled, despite her colleagues shaking her to get her attention.

"Wait! Come back!"]

"!"

The researcher jumped out of her skin when she heard her cell phone ring. She took a deep breath but winced slightly when she felt a sharp pain shoot through her chest. She hated being surprised unexpectedly. Especially when she was overworked, exhausted, and in mental turmoil. Reaching over, she grabbed her cellphone and answered the call. Who the hell could be calling her so late at night?

"Good evening Doctor."

Dr. Harrison's expression grew terrified, as her voice seemed to get caught in her throat. Her voice trembled as her body grew to be like gelatin. She recognized the voice from the other day, back when she was in her research lab, running tests and taking samples for analysis. The voice sent chills down her spine, as it continued to speak with an almost creepily interested tone.

"I couldn't help but notice your significant progress with that wonderful looking specimen, you incoherently let escape without authorization."

"H-How-" the woman asked, as she nearly dropped her phone, as the low voice continued without bothering to address her own question.

"That thing you let loose took me quite the effort to capture. But it would seem like-"

"You need the rest more than I do."

"!"

The woman gasped loudly and turned around, her entire body froze like ice, the moment she realized the voice over the phone was now inside her apartment building.

Better yet, the voice was inside her own room!

The figure standing before her was tall and on the robust side; the moonlight that filtered through the window only seemed to blind her as she tried to make out any sort of familiarity between herself and the darkened figure in the bedroom. She couldn't see his face, for it was completely covered by a white mask; it's facial features being masked out with black paint, giving it an eerie yet theatrical appearance and vibe. But it wasn't the mask that had made her body run ice cold.

Her eyes were struck with pure fear, when she saw his exposed left eye! Angled and sharp in detail, the singular eye was a drastic turquoise in color, it's pupil contracted to that of a pinpoint. A clear lense could also be made out due to the moonlight being reflected off its surface. Such a beautiful yet disturbing eye that silently demanded attention, as it stayed stationary as it stared at the female across the room.

"Lord...Masa..hiro!" the researcher spoke with a breathless voice, her eyes seeming hypnotized by this character's one singular one.

The figure reached out like a flash of lightning and grabbed the researcher's face, his clawed gloves handling the woman's cheeks and jawline with such care, it almost felt romantic. But in a haunting kind of way. The exposed eyes remained fixated to its intended target as the woman's ears heard the man's voice rumble in the very pit of her stomach. A venomous voice that was both vicious yet dreamy.

"It seems like you need rest. I'll be taking charge of this research from now on."

A blinding flash radiated faster than that of a camera shutter. Dr. Harrison felt her body go stiff as she collapsed. Her eyes grew hazy, before she found herself losing consciousness. The unknown man completely removed the mask before reaching into the pocket of his coat. Taking out an eye patch with a golden peony symbol on it, the man recovered his eye and covered his face with the theatre mask.

"Thus is the new beginning at the start of the New Moon."

The Wolves had been traveling through the various terrain throughout the Northern Region. Between snacking on rats and small birds to hunting (yet barely catching) large game like turkeys and water fowl, the Wolves decided to rest in an abandoned fox cave to help them converse the remaining of their energy. The forest terrain had started to grow thinner, as they realized their own natural habit was being infiltrated by Human activity. The slight smell of motor oil and burning coals only made their nerves work themselves twice as hard as they desperately tried to relax their aching, tired muscles.

Tazuna was sitting by the mouth of the den, his eyes reflecting the moon's light source, giving him an almost creepily robotic appearance. Riku had just finished making a nesting bed for Kira, who'd been complaining about sleeping on the hard cold ground. The nesting bed was particularly very common for Wolves to use in their region, due to the frigid temperatures that became trapped within the earth and then released during the night.

Although their thick fur provided some type of insulation between their skin and the ground, they were still prone to the elements if their body temperature were to drop below a certain degree.

So the simplest solution?

To create a nesting bed crafted from dried kindling such as grass and reeds. When packed together and molded, the warmth from the bedding will create a protective barrier between the animal and the ground as well as keep the animal warm during the Cold Season.

Kira was now asleep in his nesting bed, after whispering his thanks to Riku, who was now back in his Wolf form. Kira, on the other hand, wanted to remain in his Human form, as he wanted to get used to having his ability which suddenly came about out of nowhere.

Riku walked away from the youngster, before noticing Tazuna staring at the moon. He appeared to be the most comfortable in his Human form, as he rested his back against the hard rocky wall. Riku knew Tazuna was the most sane one out of the both of them, considering how much of a terrible cubhood he experienced after he got separated from his pack.

From him.

"It's peaceful, isn't it?" Tazuna asked, interrupting Riku's train of thought, as he turned to see his personal guard step over to him. "There isn't much activity going on, so try to rest."

"I should be the one telling you that." Riku hissed quietly, as he instinctively switched to his Human form and sat on the opposite side of the den.

"Riku-"

"You're way too calm about this."

Tazuna now focused his attention on Riku, who seemed to be completely removed from the entire situation, as a whole. While it was true he wasn't used to sudden changes, Tazuna knew Riku better than anyone else he'd grown close with.

Ever since they were cubs, Riku was assertive and brash, angrily lashing out at anything and everything he didn't understand. He questioned everything around him. He disputed everyone who dared to question his beliefs. He only respected Tazuna and his new pack and strictly followed their instructions and leadership. But now that they were on their own, Tazuna saw just how much Riku was desperately terrified, despite him acting manly and without a single shred of fear.

"Too calm about what?"

"This! All of this! You. Me. Kira. We never could do this before! So why now?! Why now, out of all times, did we go from Wolf to Human?! Nothing in this world makes sense anymore!"

Riku flung his pocket knife, making it clatter against the rocky interior, as it landed by Tazuna's hand. He said nothing at first, before he looked over at Riku. His calming demeanor seemingly out of place in this moment, yet offering a sense of comfort to the overly aggressive Wolf. For as long as he'd known Tazuna, he'd always been the type to worry in secret. Instead of voicing his opinion and verbally explaining his concerns, he'd keep his own fears and worries to himself, as he tried to come up with a possible solution and deal with whatever outcome.

He was also the type to remain unusually calm during intense situations. Due to his upbringing, Tazuna was a natural born leader with a very mild temper and a strict eye for observations. He was a well respected animal in his pack, thanks to his parents, and continued to carry their lead throughout his life.

"Would it kill you to say something when it comes to shit like this?! For the love of the Spirits, you're so annoying!" Riku growled slowly, his irritation clearly visible by the tone of his voice.

Taking a deep breath, Riku seemingly relaxed his taunt muscles, as a wave of fatigue washed over him. He used his hands and ran his hands through his hair. He needed space to cool down. And sticking around with Tazuna wasn't making his nerves any better. Never had he felt so tired before. Either it was from his excessive survival skills or his instinctual need to survive, he didn't know, but for some reason Riku couldn't find the comfort needed to fall asleep with such ease.

"Where are you going?" Tazuna asked quietly, as he noticed Riku getting to his feet.

"Just stay here. I won't take long." Riku snapped, though unintentionally, as he walked away from the den.

The Grey Wolf wanted to take a walk and clear his mind. Yet as he traveled aimlessly through the forest, his nose quivered at the same time his footsteps stopped. Opening his mouth slightly to intake more of the scent, Riku immediately recognized the strong smoky smell that could only be described as gunpowder!

It only took less than a few seconds when he heard mechanical gears switching and clinking together. When the Wolf looked up, his eyes went wide. Stationed in the treetops and completely hidden from view, were machine guns! The guns rattled off dozens of bullets, littering the ground and surrounding area with copper and brass bullets.

Tazuna had immediately heard the gunshots, as he quickly stared out into the pitch blackness of the forest. By that time, Kira had also woken up and scurried his way to the den's mouth. Fearing the worst, Kira clasped his hands together against his chest and looked over at Tazuna, who remained silent.

"Where's Riku?!" Kira asked frantically, before he called out to the Grey Wolf, hoping to hear a response.

"RIKU!!!"

"Kira." Tazuna commanded calmly, as he blocked the young boy from saying or doing anything brash, knowing just how worried the younger one was, due to how close the three of them were with each other. "Stay inside and stay hidden. If I don't come back, I would need you to leave-"

"No! I'm not leaving you! Or Riku!" Kira's sudden defiant outburst made

Tazuna whirled his head towards him. Kira was the type of kid who, just like any other, loved being mischievous and playful. His cheerful personality and curious nature made him all the more important to be protected. He was kind and compassionate towards his pack and was thoroughly willing to accompany his pack with any task or duty.

Tazuna knew this. Which was why he tested Kira to see exactly what the kid's reaction would be. And it was just as he expected: Cutthroat and unwavering. His strong devotion to his pack made the older Wolf quite proud of his parenting skills.

Tazuna had only just started a new life in the Red Chief Tribe when they first met Kira. He was still very young, only less than a full moon old. He was quite the curious cub and had intense separation anxiety after he realized he was alone.

"Alright. Just stay out of sight." Tazuna ordered finally, as he left Kira to the protection of the den.

'Riku...' Kira thought to himself, as he could do nothing but watch helplessly, as his two parental guardians were now gone into the dark of night, leaving him with the fear that he'd never see his friends again.

'How can they just leave me here? I'm an equal member of this pack too! And they need me!'

Riku was hiding amongst the darkened backdrop of the forest, his eyes tracking the movements of the cameras. As he did so, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Something was there. Watching him. Whirling his head behind him, the Grey Wolf saw yet another machine gun! Only this one was wired with a scope and a tripwire. The gun went off, firing numerous shots, although it missed its target.

But barely.

He could feel the heat from the bullets snapping and biting at his skin as he ducked behind a tree.

Where the hell did all of these guns come from?! Riku thought to himself, as he felt his body wanting to give out.

It's been a while since they ate or drank anything nutritious, aside from the wild boar they feasted on a few days ago. The Wolves knew food was becoming scarce, due to the overhunting season of the year, where Hunters would leave a trail of destruction in their wake by hunting big game like elk and moose to keep as trophies.

Riku couldn't figure out exactly where the guns had belonged to. Usually he was able to pinpoint exactly where certain weapons originated from by looking at the serial number at the bottom of the contraptions. The advantages of knowing such things often came in handy for Humans, in case they were to ever find the culprits responsible for tampering with such high tech equipment.

'I'd have to get right on top of them. But in order for that to happen, I'd have to avoid their motion sensors. But every move I make sends them into a fury! Damn those Humans!'

Riku saw a machine gun track him and fired several bullets in his direction! Luckily the Wolf had ducked back behind the tree, though he felt the bullets bite off large chunks of tree bark off the other side and near his head. He clenched his teeth, as his ears were ringing from all the rapid gun fire. Out of the three of them, Riku's sense of smell was rather sensitive, which in turn made him disoriented. At this point, he could no longer figure out exactly where the bullets were coming from.

Suddenly, he heard the gun stop as it sounded like wires were being forcefully yanked and ripped apart from it's main frame! Taking a chance of luck, Riku peered around the tree and to his luck and surprise, he saw Tazuna looming over the now seized camera; sparks spewing from the circuit board. The Arctic Wolf had levered himself in the tree, and managed to use it's intense jaw muscles and iron steel fangs to dismantle the camera!

"Tazuna." Riku whispered to himself, his emerald eyes gazing right into his unseeing blue eyes.

"Riku. Are you injured?"

"That's something to ask a Wolf who's always so close to dying! ...But yeah. I'm fine."

"Tazuna! Riku! Are you two alright?!" Kira called out from a distance, as he ran towards the two older Wolves, seeing as the stress of knowing they were throwing themselves into danger was too much for him.

"Kira! Stay where you are!" Riku called out immediately, stopping the younger one from stepping into the sensory field. "These guns are motion activated! If you come any closer you'll be shot!"

"But staying here will only get us killed." Tazuna answered, his calmness combatting the otherwise intense and heart pounding battle.

"Well staying here is also keeping us alive!" Riku barked back angrily, as he dared not move from the safety of the tree.

"Then how do we get past them?" Kira asked, relieved to know that his friends were safe and sound. Well. At least for now.

"The cameras can rotate 180°." Tazuna explained, as he was the one who had seen these types of cameras before during his beginning days of being in the Institution. "They have only one blind spot. And it's behind them."

"Do you think these cameras came from the Institution?" Kira asked.

"The Institution uses very specific cameras and ammunition. We'll have to take a closer look at them."

"Tazuna! Kira! The cameras are hooked to a tripwire. If the wire is touched then we'll be shot repeatedly. However, if these cameras really are from the Institution, then they do have another weakness!"

"And that is?" Riku asked, as he was now hiding behind the bushes, as not to be seen by the cameras.

"The trip wires themselves." Tazuna answered, before leaving from the camera's mount and landing on the ground, now back in his Human form.

"Riku. Do you think you can find the serial number?"

"What do you take me for?" Riku asked, standing up from behind the tree.

"Kira. I'll need you to use your own wits to dismantle the trip wires."

"Ah! Yeah! Right away!" Kira barked and leapt over the bushes and stuck behind the trees, as not to accidentally trip them off.

Riku leaped into the same tree as the broken camera and touched the cold metal. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up in infuriating aggression, as he picked up the destroyed equipment. However, he never got the chance to figure out the serial number for something else that had caught his eyes. Narrowing his eyes, he focused his vision on a small flashing light, his eyes widened once he realized what it was.

"Look out!" he called, before leaping out of the tree, just as a machine gun started rattling off dozens of bullets right in the same place where Riku once stood.

Tazuna and Kira whirled behind them and to their horror was an enormous traveling mounted gun that seemed to act as a reanimated corpse, bursting from the underground! The Wolves barely escaped the eyes of the heat sensors that were attached to the scoped camera that was mounted next to the machine gun's artillery system. The forest became a blaze of explosions and fireworks, as the Wolves realized the moving artillery machine was a backup system that seemingly buried itself underground like some kind of wolf spider.

"Kira! Lead it to the den! Riku, detach its heat sensors!" Tazuna commanded.

"Have you lost your goddamn mind?! Throwing yourself out there is a suicide attempt!" Riku barked above the roaring engine of the machine.

"All the more reason to go through with the plan." Tazuna simply growled slowly, before sprinting ahead.

With Kira veering off the path, he switched to his Human form and hid behind a tree, as his ears flickered up and down as he pinpointed the direction of the machine. Looking over, he grabbed a rock and took a deep breath. Stilling his racing heart, he darted out into the open and threw the rock at the machine. Although he underestimated the force of his own strength and hurled the object right through one of the side cameras!

"Woah." Kira gasped softly, as his sudden action made him confused.

He saw the main camera slowly turn in his direction, which gave the Wolf a small window of opportunity to escape. Calling out, Kira played as the decoy and waved his arms above his head, before turning around and taking off through the forest. As he jumped and dove under the fallen limbs and roots, he could see the den ahead of him. But unfortunately, he underestimated the speed of the machine and skidded to a stop, when the entrance was blocked by a mounted machine gun, which was triggered the moment Kira was only mere feet away from safety.

'What should I do?! What should I do?! At this rate, I'm going to be killed!'

However, rescue came quicker than he expected when he heard a quick snarl and the sounds of fangs puncturing and tearing through wires and copper cords. Kira turned behind him and saw Riku latching onto the main gun's rotary wheel, as his jaws snatched it's wire guts clean from the main frame. The display of such violence left the Red Wolf stunned, completely unaware of the sheer amount of brute force his older companions had hidden behind them.

"Riku!" Kira called out, his chest thumping with such intensity that his ribcage started to sting slightly.

"Get down!" Riku growled loudly.

Kira immediately ducked down and the moment he did, he felt Tazuna use his back as a launch pad! The Arctic Wolf had a large limb in its mouth as he could clearly see his reflection in the camera glass. Using the pointier end of the limb, Tazuna dodged the barrel of the machine gun and quickly jammed the limb inside the very inner workings of the machine.

Tazuna and Riku leapt from the base of the moving contraption and sprinted towards Kira, each one taking one of Kira's hands, pulling him behind him. The trio only just made it into the valley clearing when the machine exploded, sending scrap metal, bolts, and melted bullets scattering the surrounding area. A piece of the mangled sheet metal fell a few feet away from Kira, who picked it up. Thankfully, he was able to read the language, thanks to Tazuna and Riku teaching him how to read.

" 'Property of Lord M.' " Kira read aloud, as he then turned over the sheet metal in his hands, it's scorched edges feeling sharp and rough against his palms. "Who the heck is that?"

"If we're lucky, the bastard who created these damn machines." Riku sighed, his irritable personality returning once again.

A piercing sound blasted through the quietness of the forest and valley. Looking up into the cloudy yet darkened sky, the Wolves saw an incredibly advanced looking airship. With blue circulating orbs, acting as an energy source to help power the large transportation vehicle, they covered their eyes, due to the intensely bright searchlights.

"And take this piece of shit with you!" shouted Riku who, with his overbearing aggression, took the sheet metal from the younger Wolf and hurled it to the sky above.

"R-Riku!" Kira stammered, as he was completely surprised by the way Riku was displaying his anger.

But the Wolves suddenly noticed yet another gun being pointed at them. Tazuna immediately shielded Kira from whatever potential danger or damage the gun was going to cause. Except to their surprise, Riku used his own body to shield both of them!

The female researcher had slowly awoken up to another researcher holding a rapid fire gun towards the ground. All sense of grogginess immediately washed away, before she grabbed the researcher's waist, as she desperately tried to keep him from shooting.

"What the hell are you doing?! Get off of me!" the researcher yelled above the whipping winds of the airship.

"You don't know what you're dealing with! Don't shoot!" Dr. Harrison pleaded, as she boldly reached for the barrel of the gun.

"What the hell are you chattering about, Doctor?! They're Wolves! Can't you see?"

"They're not Wolves! They're children! I don't see an ounce of Wolf on them!"

It was then the same man as before silently stepped behind them. They both froze in fear, as they peered at the man's theatrical mask, although his strange looking eye was now covered. He said nothing as he reached over and effortlessly pressed a side button on the wall near him. The latches hissed and slowly the door began to close shut!

"Have you lost your mind?! He'll get crushed by the weight of the door!" she shouted, her priority now shifting from the disguised Wolves to her endangered partner.

The man said nothing as he walked past the woman and simply stood there and watched the door begin to close on the man's machine gun, the pressure of the heavy door threatening to cause the contents of the gun to explode and implode on itself. Fearful, the man began to curse at the strange man, who still spoke not a word.

"Please! Do something!" the woman begged, her eyes staring into the mask's eyeholes, hoping to find some kind of grievances.

"My apologies, Dr. Harrison." the man spoke with charm, making his way up to the man.

Silently withdrawing his hand from his pocket, the owner of the airship raised his leg and used his heeled boot to stab the terrified man off the airship's edge! Without having any stabilized grip on the railing or the gun, Dr. Harrison could do nothing but watch in complete horror as her long standing companion tumbled downward from the airship as he traveled into the dense forest below.

The Wolves watched in sickening horror as their stomach churned, as they were eyewitnesses to the merciless act of murder and violence. Kira covered his mouth and buried his face in Riku's chest, much too horrified to watch whatever events that transpired afterwards. Riku even felt sick as he shielded Kira from the disgusting act of Human actions.

"Why? Why did he have to die?" Kira sniffled, as he kept his face hidden from the Grey Wolf.

"Humans are the most dangerous creatures of them all." Tazuna explained quietly, as his eyes stayed stationary on the mysterious man, who was now staring right back at him through the mask. "Let's go."

"Right." Riku spoke with a shaky calmness, before he carefully lifted Kira in his arms and carried him, as he followed Tazuna through the forest to find a more suitable place to stay the night.

In a separate adobe-styled village lived a small girl, who couldn't have been only about thirteen years of age. Her hair was as black and shiny as a crow's feather. Pulled back and braided halfway downward, it was decorated with a red ribbon with obscure patterns. Her brown pelt Pancho covered her comfortable looking lynx fur clothing that was tied together with braided reeds. On her wrists she wore bracelets made of shiny gold as her boots were also made of lynx fur and secured with braided reeds.

The girl was carrying a large waterproof bag, which was filled with different plants and seeds. As she freely explored the edges of her family home, she saw the tail end of an airship passing overhead through the treetops. Feeling her heart pound with unsightly fear, she quickly hid in the undergrowth, as she wasn't used to experiencing something on such a grand scale.

I have to get out of here! the girl reassured herself, as she slowly backed away from her current position.

However, when she backed up, she nearly tripped over her own feet, falling back and landing on the ground, the contents from her bag spilling. She groaned to herself as she regained her senses. But her eyes widened with absolute terrorized shock when she saw a large yet dashingly handsome and fluffy wolf face. She started to scream but quickly covered her mouth to swallow her voice. Laying in front of her were three extremely large yet seemingly starving Wolves!

"How- Why would you-?"

The woman was completely shell shocked from the unexpected and rather random act of murder.

"We only had a minor setback." spoke the man finally, as he looked out the opened door, his murderous tendencies having no bounds.

"But you killed a person! Doesn't that mean anything to you at all?!"

"You're a smart woman, Dr. Cher Harrison. So let me ask you this." -the man spun around pointed an electro stun gun to the woman's forehead- "If you were to leave my custody, would you rather be hunted or tortured?"

"You wouldn't dare. You know damn well those Wolves mean everything to me just as much as they do to you!"

"So now, I bring you the words from the 'Red Moon Chronicles.' " -the man walked away from the door and over to his holographic control panel that he originally had on autopilot- " 'For when the Winter Solstice awakens the Wolf, the Sleeping Man sleeps within. From the Wolf was born from Man and the harmony of both was disrupted by power.' "

"That's...an excerpt from the fabled book 'Red Moon Chronicles.'" Dr. Harrison recited slowly, who only heard about such a book from rumors among the mouths of the rich Nobles, who usually deal the most money in alchemy and other high-tech equipment.

"So you know of such a book?"

"I've only heard of such rumors from a few black market dealers."

"The book was written through the ages of time, it's contents seemingly added on to by various Nobles and testimonies from various people, who have been said to be the ancestors of Wolves."

"Various...people? Wait- are you saying Wolves-"

"-did exist at one point during their time on Earth. However, because of their overwhelming wrath and morbid curiosity, their DNA was altered by alchemy, allowing them to discard their true forms and wreak havoc in the Human world."

"But were Wolves even smart enough to even know how alchemy works?! Much less know how dangerous alchemy is?"

"You're not the kind to believe in things that come from the mouth of those around you."

"If you know all of this, then why are you so driven to find something that doesn't exist?"

The mysterious man looked at the footage he captured from one of his secondary surveillance cameras. With his fingers illuminating the holographic keys, he said nothing before stopping the camera suddenly and zoomed into a small village hidden in the forest. Dr. Harrison was now beside him, her mind still slightly reeling from the intake of seemingly odd information. She just couldn't understand why someone like this man could possibly be interested in a bunch of wild Dogs. As far as she was informed, Nobles usually conducted their business within the shadows and away from wandering eyes.

So why would this one in particular be so emotionally and mentally invested in something that, according to everyone else around her, never existed in the first place?

"Because, one of them, my dear Dr. Harrison is my gateway to the throne." the man spoke with a venomous sneer to his growling voice. "And all you have to do is blow the gate wide open."

'Gateway? Throne? What the hell is this Noble talking about?! Is he- some kind of king or something?' thought Dr. Cher Harrison, as she began to grow evermore curious about the files stored on the holographic computer system.

A pair of eyes opened slowly and groggily. He could feel the warm sensation of a fire soaking through his thick fur and penetrating his skin, warming him from the inside out. Through his hazy vision, he could barely make out the outlines of several small and large pillows, each one having a different colored pattern than the next. Raising his head, the Grey Wolf peered around the clay interior of the room.

With the fire going, he saw what appeared to be a table filled with fresh dried meat and several small baskets full of medicinal herbs. A pair of waterproof moccasins sat by the fire, as well as a brown poncho laying over a hand woven chair that had a handmade, feather stuffed pillow. Various paintings of hunting scenes of buffalo, moose and images of extremely large and hairy looking elephants were neatly hung on the walls. Dangling above his head was a dreamcatcher.

'What is this place?' Riku asked suspiciously, as he took his time in investigating his surroundings.

It was then, he saw a young girl with shimmering black hair and a rather peaceful look on her face, as she was using a large spoon to stir the contents of an otherwise decent smelling pot of food. Switching to his Human form, Riku leaned against the wall, the moonlight shining through the rectangular shaped window above him.

His clothing was slightly torn from having to run through a dark forest that had bushes of sharp thorns and branches. His emerald green eyes couldn't leave the girl's face, as he kept tracking her every single movement.

"You're awake!" the girl exclaimed with relief, as she was tasked with caring for the large creature. "I didn't think you were going to make it..."

The girl sat the spoon down and walked over to him, before noticing the tray of medical herbal soup she left out for him to take was still sitting there. Cold as ice. She looked at Riku, who said nothing but grew startled by the intensity of his green eyes that illuminated in the moon's pale light. Sitting down carefully, she reached over boldly, not knowing exactly what she would expect, only to scream when she got violently attacked by Riku!

Her mouth was immediately covered with his large hand, as he easily held her down with only a tiny fraction of his body weight. The ice cold blade of his pocket knife was now against her skin, as he growled at her; his animalistic nature could clearly be seen through his eyes, for the young girl could see her reflection in the outer lenses of his eyes. The more she struggled, the longer he kept her pinned to the rug he was just sleeping on. Thankfully, he knew his transformation ability kicked in automatically to avoid any misconceptions with those around him.

"Don't touch me! Don't you ever touch me! Understand?!" Riku warned viciously, as the girl mumbled loudly against his hand, her eyes pleading mercilessly to not get killed.

I don't want to die here! Please take me with you!' the girl mentally begged, closing her eyes shut tightly, as she didn't know what the strange man's next move would be.

As if hearing her inner thoughts, Riku ever so slowly let his hand slide from the girl's mouth, as he retracted the blade. The girl remained frozen from terror, just in case he were to attack her again. But he didn't. Instead Riku stayed sitting on his thighs, squatting down in front of her and awaiting her next move.

"Where is he?" Riku asked suddenly, his tone much less vicious than before, causing the frightened girl to look at him.

"W-What...?"

"Tazuna. Where is he?"

"I don't...know who that is."

Riku suspected as much from a Human child. His green eyes were expert at detecting emotions and lies. Finding nothing to detect as a lie, the Grey Wolf smoothly got to his feet and crossed the room, his boots kicking up raw dust from the sand floor under them. He said nothing to the girl as he needed to reunite with his pack, which was the only thing on his mind at that moment. When he reached for the door, he felt a strong tug on his arm. Whirling around and looking down, he saw the girl desperately clinging onto him. With pure disgust, his pupils shrank to the size of pinpoints and aggressively threw the girl off of him.

"I told you don't touch me!" Riku angrily lashed out, not caring about if he injured the girl or not.

"Please! Don't leave!" the girl pleaded, as she stared at Riku with tears in her eyes. "If you do, the Troops will catch you and take you away from here!"

"Tch. Whatever happens to you is your own damn fault!"

Riku then opened the door carefully, as he peered through the sliver of an opening. True to the girl's words, armed reinforcement officers carrying sniper rifles and visors walked in small patrols. As he watched the units walk through the torch lit streets of the city the girl stared longingly at Riku; her body trembled as she knew the consequences for anyone caught within the city after hours. Riku remained as alert as possible, his body stiff with alertness as he watched the Troops do their typical patrols.

"Don't get involved in shit you don't understand." Riku warned quietly, before seeing an opening of safety, and darted into the street.

"I'll never forget you..." the girl spoke quietly to herself, as she closed the door as softly as she could, so as not to disturb the Troops. "I will never forget anyone who leaves..."

Tazuna had managed to escape the inner workings of the city. Because of his dark clothing, he seemingly blended into the darkness of the forest that surrounded him completely. His ears flickered once he heard the mechanical voices coming from a radio scanner/walkie-talkie system. They were angry. Desperate. Precise. Tazuna didn't have much time to stop and investigate. His outer thigh burned with a stinging pain, as he was previously grazed by a bullet.

He lost Riku and Kira in the fiasco, unable to see their possible location or whereabouts due to the blinding flashes of flash grenades and the hail of bullets that sparked fire from their barrels. He growled to himself, as his hair stuck to his sweaty skin, as he limped earnestly. He'd been fighting his entire life to stay alive.

("Tazuna.")

The Wolf nearly stopped in his tracks the moment he heard the voice call out to him. Thinking he was hallucinating due to his exhaustion, he kept moving; his breathing came out rugged and rough, as he could still hear the voices of the Troops following him.

That voice again. Where is it coming from? Tazuna asked himself, before he found himself in a clearing that nearly made him vomit on the spot.

Surrounding his feet were the remaining corpses of Troops, who were visibly stabbed and shot through means of self mutilation! Everywhere he turned, he saw their grotesque faces frozen in horror, as if whoever they saw seemed to freeze them to stone. Was it the inner workings of the Fox goddess, I'nre, who was known for her manipulative abilities and horrific acts of bidding Human lives in exchange for eternal life.

He didn't have much time for speculation, when he saw what appeared to be a pale blue wisp casually floating in front of him, only a few feet away. The odd appearance of such a manifestation only caused the Wolf to be filled with more questions than answers. Suddenly, one by one more of the strange wisps appeared, just casually hovering and stationary, leaving a softened glow in their wake.

"What is this?" Tazuna questioned through clenched teeth, as he felt something beginning to stir inside of him. "My body feels- AHHHHHH!"

The Wolf collapsed to the ground, his knees of his battered and torn jeans soaking wet from the bloody soil that squished in disgust from the utter lack of disregard for Human life. His ears rang; his stomach churned. He could feel his lungs beginning to burn, as he couldn't seem to take in enough oxygen to breathe. Curled up into a ball, Tazuna felt like his body had been doused with kerosene and lit ablaze. He could barely hear the sounds of the gathering Troops surrounding him, as he saw his vision fading away into static.

'What the hell is wrong with me?! It feels like my entire body is on fire! Please Ok'u! Sk'u! Gods and Goddesses of the Spiritual Lights, help me! I beg of you! Hear my hidden prayers and save me from an untimely death!'

"Sir! We found Experiment 24!" one of the Troops radioed into his microphone, which was attached to his earpiece.

The Wolf was all too familiar with the Troops and their equipment, due to his observations and his advanced eyesight. The visors the soldiers wore were specially enhanced with infused DNA of Wolves, who became the unfortunate specimens of their diabolical science experiments and alchemy tests. Through these specially designed visors, anyone who wears them can distinguish a Wolf from a Human, by showing them a Wolf's true form, as well as their status, including their assigned numbers, alchemy levels, and vital signs.

'Experiment? What...the hell are they talking about?! I'm not your experiment! I'm not your plaything! Leave. Me-'

"ALONE!" Tazuna hollered, spooking the Troops, the moment they heard his powerful yet growling voice.

Tazuna picked up his head, before turning his head towards the main Troop holding his gun towards his head.

His appearance still resembled his own, only his eyes were glowing with such an intensity. Black scratches appeared on his cheeks, as his teeth became wolf-like and animalistic. His black hair grew wildly as his nails dug into the soil, the still wet blood of the fallen soldiers seeping through his fingers. The Troops raised their guns and squeezed the triggers on their guns, desperately trying to put down whatever beast they were unexpectedly unleashing.

However, their guns never fired. They were at a stalemate. Dead. Broken.

"Ah! My visor isn't working!" one of the Troops exclaimed in surprise, as he reached up and pressed a button.

When the visor disappeared, he suddenly screamed and tripped over his own two feet. Standing in front of him was a Human boy with a glowing yet visible golden hue around his body. The visible energy formed itself to resemble the outline of a Wolf! Tazuna remained stationary, growling with a menacing voice that sent shivers down the terrified Troop's back.

"What's your goddamn problem?!" asked the main soldier, as he was irritated at the commotion behind him.

"That boy! He's not just an average boy! He's a Wolf!"

"I know he's a Wolf, you idiot!"

"No! H-H-He's not JUST a Wolf!"

Tazuna's visible aura swished it's large tail. However, as the Troops started to unwillingly remove their visors, they would freeze with indescribable terror as the aura sprouted a second tail. Then a third. Then a fourth. They screamed wildly and a few even took the opportunity to sprint to safety.

But Tazuna grinded his hands and feet into the soil and bolted forward, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. A sword made of steel and copper manifested in his hands, before he slashed at the nearest Troop. The sheer, raw power of his front hand swing proved to be too powerful and cleanly decapitated the soldier's head clean off his shoulders. The ground around him crumbled and broke into large chunks, as the force of the blow possibly altered the alignment of the magnetic field around him.

The trees were uprooted from the ground, as fresh groundwater turned to steam due to the heat generated from the blade. As the fallen Troops laid dead in his presence, the others knew right then they were screwed from the beginning. Tazuna turned his head slowly, his strange eyes zeroing in on his next targets. Like a sudden burst of lightning, the Troops' vision doubled as they saw nothing but an afterimage of their target, appearing behind him.

One by one, the damage became clear from exploding hearts spewing blood from their chests to sudden decapitations and amputations of arms and legs. Their screams were blood curdling and sorrowful, as they had to be reminded of their fallen colleagues being brutally slaughtered by a strange entity. Looking back, Tazuna unknowingly dismissed the visible energy source, although the sword he previously used was still and very much real. Returning to his usual aloof self, the disguised Wolf took a final look at his destructive nature.

'Is this the raw power of the Gods?' Tazuna asked himself, as he heaved with exhaustion.

He didn't feel pain or any type of bodily injury, other than a stinging sensation in his eyes. Shaking his head and ignoring the burn, he reached down and grabbed a battered and bloodstained scabbard that belonged to an already dead Troop. Carefully placing the sword inside its protective sheath, he rigged up a carrying belt from a piece of leather and cloth he scavenged from the bloody carnage that choked the air with the scent of iron and burning flesh.

"I need to find Riku and Kira." he spoke to himself, before turning around and venturing back through the forest once again, his darkened aura remaining on the battlefield.

However, dancing within the dark shadows of the battlefield was Lord Masahiro; his eyes gleaming and glinting with a substantial appetite for raw power, as he silently tracked Tazuna's movements.

'Just you wait my dear boy. You'll get your revenge soon enough,' the man cackled internally, before cryptically vanishing into thin air as quickly as the wind blew through the forest.

"Hm? What was that?" Kira asked, as he was munching on a buttered roll he was given by a village boy, who offered his home to the Wolf.

"What was what?" asked the boy, who was carrying a clay pot full of dried spices. "Ah! You mean the rumbling? Probably just some underground drilling."

"Underground drilling?"

"It's not uncommon for this place to shake with tremors. This place used to be a system of mining before our village was transformed into what it is now."

"Do you have any jewels left over? You Hu- I mean people, must be very rich!"

The boy shook his head slowly, as he sat the pot on the floor next to the table, which was hand carved. Walking over, the boy had hair that hung to his lower back, but was braided and hung neatly over his shoulder. He wore a colorful poncho which draped all the way down to his legs. He didn't wear his moccasins, as they got wet from stepping through a water puddle a few hours earlier.

"We barely got the chance to spend any of the remaining riches. Our village was soon sought after by bandits and rogues who heard from the whispering winds that our homes were rich with jewels and minerals. According to our village Elder, Ik, she explained that the Gods infused their spiritual essences within these jewels, as they offered protection against the forces of the outside world. Natural disasters, both domestic and foreign. We were completely untouched by them all and our village was a land of peace..."

"Emael. Did something happen to this place?" Kira asked, noticing the boy's voice dropped off slowly, as if the remainder of the story was too painful to recall. "Did the village get overrun with Troops? Or was it something else?"

"Ah, well I'm not sure exactly what happened after that. We were forced to evacuate, but not before Elder Ik placed a protection charm over the land to protect it's legacy for future generations."

"Oh. Well, surely Elder Ik knew what he was doing if it meant what was doing what's best for his people. Don't feel too bad though. My family is the same way!"

Emael tilted his head slightly, the silence between them growing at an alarming rate. Yet a smile crossed his face. Although they only met by chance within the back alley of an abandoned warehouse, they managed to become fast friends. Kira knew Tazuna and Riku would never approve of such a friendship to last, knowing Wolves were always seen as terrorizing beasts who wanted nothing more but to poison the world with their frightening power.

"Let's just forget about that for now. Are you still hungry? Let's eat dinner!" Emael suggested, immediately changing the subject, as he turned to the boiling kettle over the open fire.

'Emael.' Kira sighed mentally, as he subconsciously smiled at the boy, who was about a year older than him.

Riku transformed into his Grey Wolf form, as he felt the searing heat from stray bullets biting at his heels. With his mouth full of Human blood and the taste of flesh still fresh in his mouth, the animal bolted down the narrow streets, his claws scraping up clay and crumbled up pieces of soil as he frantically attempted to avoid being captured.

'Tazuna! Kira! Where the hell are you guys?!' Riku questioned angrily, before turning down a side street and hid behind a large pile of wooden planks.

Now back in his Human form, he fell back against the hard, cold clay wall and slid down. He breathed heavily as he watched his pursuers run straight past the side street, their voices shooting straight past him, as they eventually lost sight of their target. Riku grinned in triumph, as he was finally able to rest for a bit. Wiping his mouth free from the blood, he caught the sight of a water bottle slowly rolling towards his feet.

Sliding his pupils over to the darkened adjacent alley, he could smell the faint scent of wild orchids. A scent he remembered smelling the moment he found himself in the girl's house.

"I can see you." Riku spoke quietly, his voice rumbling with a natural growl.

The girl, who had been following Riku from afar, silently stepped out from behind the shadows and into the moonlight that created a "river" between herself and Riku, who were both living in the shadows. She carried her trusty bag of supplies which she kept stashed away in small and large clay pots.

"What's your deal, kid? Can't you see I ran away to get away from you?"

'This child just won't leave me alone.'

"Are you alright?!" the girl asked in earnest, as she couldn't help but worry about the strange older man.

"So why did you come here?" she asked, as she sat at a respectable distance away from Riku.

No answer.

'Why did I ask him that question? There's no way he'd ever talk to me. He threatened to kill me if I ever helped him. Yet, here I am. Helping him. If he ever were to kill me. Then I'll fully-'

"To get away from someone." Riku eventually answered quietly, as he didn't bother looking at the child, as he took a deep breath of rather stale air.

The girl jumped at the answer, his voice interrupting her thoughts. She didn't say anything, as the suffocating silence between them seemed to have some form of familiarity. She soon found herself staring at Riku and the numerous battle scars he had on his exposed skin and the tears in his clothing.

Just how much has this person been through to get to where he looked like this.

Moving a piece of hair from her face, she then noticed Riku's nails and nail bed weren't originally shaped to fit that of a person. His nails were slightly elongated and rather blunt at the tip. Yet they were still worn for tears, as she could also see dried blood underneath his nails.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"!"

The girl jumped back, accidentally knocking over a wooden plank from the pile. The large piece of wood sliding from the wall and clattering onto the ground. The hard thunking sound made both her and Riku freeze on the spot. Subconsciously, Riku immediately reached out and held the child close to him, as he could hear what sounded like heavy footsteps coming towards them.

"Don't move or I'll leave you here." he warned seriously, his arm secured around the girl's body, his heart resonating loudly in his own ears.

True to his own nature, the familiar scent of iron and infused Energy Cores from that of the armored Troops' artillery gear could be felt throughout his entire body. He felt something inside of him stir at random. His hands felt warm to the touch as he hunkered down as far as he could from the Troops who were drawing near.

"I'm scared!" shouted the girl, who clung to the older man's shirt for dear life.

"You should've said that before following me, kid!"

'And you pick now to do this after you were so desperately wanting to die?!'

With a split second decision, he placed his hand on the ground and like a sudden wave of dizziness washed over him. As if he was made of a strange magnet, the ground suddenly became moist and damp, as a ring of groundwater could be visibly seen around the feet of the Troops. Now confused and dazed, the pursuers tried their absolute best to move their feet, before an enormous wave of water sprouted from the ground like daisies, cascading over the Troops, damaging their equipment and disabling their DNA Visors.

"Hold on!" Riku growled and with a few elongated leaps, he and the girl found themselves on the roof.

"How did you do that?!" the girl asked with interest, as she'd never seen anyone physically pull groundwater from the earth and use it as a defensive weapon.

"How the hell am I supposed to know?! Now shut up and keep moving or I'll leave you here to die!!"

"B-But you wouldn't! Would you?!"

"Isn't that your wish?"

"!"

A hail of bullets from nearby Troops sped past them, as the girl tried her best to keep up with the long strides of the disguised Wolf. However, her moccasins weren't slip resistant and soon she began to lose her footing. Down she fell from the sloped rooftop, as she desperately reached out for Riku to grab her.

"Help!"

This is it! This really is the end for me! I didn't want to die like this! Anything but this! Mother. Please. Help me!

Turning his head, he saw the girl starting to fall and immediately dodged several bullets; feeling the blazing heat singe his fur. Reaching out with his hand, he clutched the girl's bag and stopped her just in the nick of time. The girl looked down and saw the Troops staring at them with disbelief; their weapons slowly lowered; their eyes the size of pinpoints. They were utterly stunned with what they saw with their own eyes.

It was then, the girl felt the hot breath of an animal and to her complete shock, she was eye to eye with a large Grey Wolf! His dashingly handsome emerald eyes seemed to tell her that everything was ok.

And just past him, was the ghostly image of her late mother; her peaceful and strong smile radiating, as if she compelled Riku to save her only daughter.

"Mother." the girl sniffed, as her tears flooded her eyes. "You came back for me! I-I don't want to die here!"

"For the love of the Spirits, make up your damn mind!" Riku growled menacingly. "If you're going to die, then do so right here! Right now! But do it after you get away from here!"

The girl felt this strange fluttering in her chest as she reached out to the Wolf with a trembling hand, as the ghostly image of her mother slowly vanished behind Riku. But with a simple tug, he easily slung the girl around and sat her on his back, his thick fur providing a softened cushion for her.

The Grey Wolf immediately took off down the sloped roof, his claws striking the building with extreme force, propelling him forward. As he leapt from rooftop to rooftop, he switched back and forth between his Wolf form and Human form, making it tough for the Troops to land a fair shot at him and the girl. Riku leaped up onto a rocky ledge just above the adobe village and allowed the girl to slide off his back.

"Riku." a voice came from above the ledge.

Riku looked up immediately and saw Tazuna standing there, sword in hand, as he stared at the Troops below, who were staring right back at them. Riku was right above his friend yet he could smell the heavy stench of fresh blood and death surrounding him. His clothes were stained red, as he didn't even bother to wipe his face clean of the carnage that splattered during his intense fight.

'What's this I'm feeling? My body...feels so hot. What the hell is going on with me?'

"Take the girl and go find Kira." Tazuna commanded with authority, darkness drenched in his voice, as he held the weapon tighter, blood flowing from the blade.

"You don't have to!" came a second voice from afar.

It was Kira!

"Kira! What the hell are you doing here?!" Riku barked, angry that the kid would waltz right into the middle of a battlefield. "Get out of here and hide!"

"But I- can't just leave you guys." Kira spoke quietly to himself, as he felt his own spirit burning with an unseen force, before shouting his resolve which stunned Riku and Tazuna, "I'm not going to run and hide anymore! I don't want to be the weakest link in our pack anymore! So I'm going to fight!"

"Are you stupid?! You can't-" Riku yelled in disapproval, before Tazuna stopped him with his own conviction.

"If he wants to help. Let him."

"I'mit!" came a familiar voice which made the Wolves turn their heads to the bottom of the adobe village.

"Emael!" shouted the girl named I'mit, who was still close to Riku, as she looked at her close friend. "It's not safe here! You need to find somewhere to hide!"

"I can't just abandon you either! You told me yourself, right? 'One day! We'll find a reason to discover our own conviction and leave this place for good!' That's what we promised each other! A-"

"Just stop it. Please. Stop it, Emael!" I'mit shouted, almost angrily, as her face streamed with tears. "My conviction isn't the same as yours! It never was!"

"Oh now you decide to start shouting your conviction." Riku growled in agitation, only to hide when a stray bullet bit into the rocky cliff next to his feet.

"We can talk later." Tazuna suggested, as he was securing his hand to the katana hilt, pulling the strip of cloth until the knot was tight.

"Heh. Let's show these Humans who're the real Alphas here."

"Ready when you are, Tazuna!" Kira added, thoroughly ready to lay his life on the line for their survival.

Tazuna eyes darted to a stray bullet that came right towards him! With a turn of the blade, he slashed at the bullet, the gale force wind slicing the bullet clean in half; the heat from the intense swing caused the gunpowder residue from the atmosphere to explode, creating a smoke shield that surrounded the adobe village.

The disguised Wolf shot through the cloud of black smoke, sword at the ready and cut down the Troop who shot him. Riku and Kira covered their noses and eyes with their jackets, before leaping into action themselves. Using their Wolf forms, Kira and Riku viciously tackled the soldiers; barks and snarls could be heard from within the smoke cloud. As wails of desperate cries rang out, Kira used a straight edged sword he picked up off the ground and charged at his own target. He gave a battle cry, only to get knocked to the side aggressively by a swift boot to the shoulder by an unsuspecting Troop!

Suddenly a large burst of heat erupted around his feet and suddenly realized he was surrounded by two Troops. Expertly calculating the bullet that was shot and with a swirling and jumbled mind, Kira used his agility and slid underneath the Troop, before using a low roundhouse kick move and knocked the Human off balance. Knowing the Troop wasn't going to stay down for much longer, he grabbed the Troop's heavy gun and bashed her in the head, knocking her completely unconscious. He focused his attention on the second Troop, switching to his Wolf form and chopped down on his leg, piercing the soldier and tore holes through his uniform and his exposed skin.

He growled menacingly, his auburn fur bristling. Their eyes connected for a moment out of sync.

"Tch! Stupid Dog." cursed the Troop, as he suddenly locked on Kira!

But it wasn't until he heard the Troop's finger slowly cock back the trigger, did Kira realize just how much danger he'd found himself in. However, as if a silent plea had been made, Kira saw the Troop suddenly convulse and constrict himself like an odd contortionist. Kira unlatched his jaws and quickly backed away, as he watched the Troop fall to the ground.

Dead. Stone cold dead.

"What the heck was that?!" Kira gasped in shock, unable to comprehend what just happened.

But as he turned to run, he saw a Troop looming over him, his sunset eyes staring down the darkness of the gun barrel.

"No... No. No! No! NO!"

Kira screamed loudly which morphed into a cry for help; he covered his face with his arms, before feeling splatters of something sticky and wet started to pelt his skin. Opening his eyes, he saw the sharp tip of a blade meeting his gaze, as it plunged straight through the Troop's heart! It started to rain freshly warmed blood on Kira, discoloring his clothing and marking his skin with Human blood, for the first time in his life. His entire body seemed frozen in place as his eyes stretched wide from the absolute violence on a Human body.

The sword was extracted and once the body fell limp, the person behind the attack was Riku, who was breathing heavily due to him overexerting himself into saving his young friend. Sword in hand, Riku was drenched with so much blood, Kira couldn't distinguish where his blood started and the Human blood ended.

"Riku." Kira called out, hoping he could reach his friend, who stepped towards him. "Are you ok? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine." Riku answered breathlessly, before reaching over and stroking the kid's head. "Let's just find Tazuna and get the hell out of here."

"Mhm!"

"Yeah. Let's." a voice came from beside them; a deep voice with a slight snarl quickly got Kira and Riku's attention. "This place wasn't made for us, Wolves."

The voice belonged to a strange looking man, who was kneeled beside one of the dead Troops. His voice didn't appear angry. He didn't appear frustrated. As a matter of fact, he actually appeared to be somewhat smiling, knowing his targets were fine, except for a few scratches, blood soaked clothing, and an unbelievable amount of strength and power the Wolves never knew they could feel until now.

"Riku! Kira!" shouted Tazuna, who strangely couldn't see anything past the accumulated thick cloud of dust and smoke. "Hey! Answer me!"

Tazuna then began coughing. The thickness of the dust, mingled with the smell of gunpowder and iron choked his vocal cords and windpipe. He covered his nose with his forearm as he squinted his eyes in a desperate attempt to look past the smoke.

"Hey! Are you guys alright?! Answer me!"

"Yes. I wonder about that myself, Dog."

'That voice! Could it be-?!' Tazuna gasped internally, as immediately recognized the intensely deep and impressionable voice.

The type of voice that rumbled in one's chest, if one were to be close enough.

The type of voice that commanded attention.

The type of voice that sounded just like-

"Father." Tazuna breathed out slowly, the foreign yet familiar words dancing on his tongue as he spoke them outright.

He heard the echoing voice laugh a grueling laugh, as he still couldn't pinpoint exactly where it was coming from.

"Come find me, Child. Conform to what you really are."

"Father. Father! Where are you?!" Tazuna called out desperately, his once dormant innocence bubbling to the surface.

"I'm right behind you." chuckled the same rumbling voice, as the strange man seemed to teleport like magic.

"Father!"

Tazuna whirled around but found nothing in return.

No voice.

No scent.

No father.

But he could still hear his voice. There was no mistake in it. It was definitely his father, Masahiro's voice. The same father he grew to love to the point of wanting to imitate.

The same father who he looked up to.

A leader.

A devoted mate.

A responsible king.

"Gah!"

A choking noise erupted from Tazuna's mouth, as he was suddenly manhandled by a brute force and a strong grip to his jaw. His mechanical eyes whizzed and buzzed rapidly, as they frantically tried to pick up, decipher, and record any type of information he was able to collect, but found none.

"Ri..ku. Kira! Ack!" Tazuna gasped, as he choked out the words.

"Your friends can't hear your pleas, you silly child." responded a voice.

A sudden gust of wind could be felt, as Masahiro slowly manifested from the swirling winds. He'd been holding his son by his jaw, his iron finger caps scraping the boy's skin. Their eyes met instantly, as Tazuna began to violently kick, as he was lifted into the air. He elongated nails aggressively scratched and scraped at the assailer's hand, wrist, and forearm, only to hear it clicking with metal! The strange man seemed to grin behind his mask, before reaching up with his spare hand and removing the mask.

Sudden memories flooded Tazuna's mind, as his eyes involuntarily scanned Masahiro's face. His head throbbed achingly. He felt literally sick to his stomach. The same father who helped raise him.

The same man who taught him the way of the world. Their culture. Their ferocious hunting skills. The same person who protected their family and their kingdom, only to suddenly disappear during the Grand Fire of the Nations!

"How unfortunate to find you in such a predicament." sneered Masahiro, as he stared with complete accountability at the Wolf, he once saw as his son. "Such a disgrace to befall upon my world. And yet here you are, still retching around in this world without a true place to truly belong.'"

"Tazuna!"

"Tazuna! Are you here?!"

The two voices came from Riku and Kira, as they eventually managed to hone in on his scent, thanks to Riku's extraordinary sense of smell. However, they were immediately stopped to a grinding halt, when they were blocked off by a wall of purple flames! Riku backed off, as he kept Kira at bay to prevent themselves from getting burned.

"Your Majesty!" Riku called out frantically above the roar of the densely alchemy flames.

'No! That can't be him! It just can't be!'

"Riku! Who is that?!" Kira asked, startled. "...And what's he doing to Tazuna?!"

"Would you shut up and let me think?!"

"Get away from them!" shouted another voice from beyond the flames.

It was Emael and I'mit, who were throwing rocks and broken pieces of metal at Masahiro. He flickered his hand up to his eye patch and exposed his turquoise eye, which turned ruby red in color. As if suddenly entranced, Tazuna became like a stone statue, his body rigid and stiff. Riku and Kira yelled in anguish, only to be interrupted by the Human children. Without thinking, they ran towards Masahiro, eager to save their friend, only for Masahiro to merely change the eye's color from red to a fiery yellow. Black flames chained themselves around the childrens' necks, as they kicked and screamed in pure agony!

'No! This can't be Father! Tazuna wailed in confusing anger, as tears started to crease his eyes.

But Masahiro paid no mind to the pain of his crying son, before carelessly tossing him aside, making him fly through the purple flames, crashing the ground and rolling to a stop. He said nothing, as he loomed over to the crying and screaming children, as they begged and pleaded for their lives to be spared.

"Since you've come to acquire the nature of the Humans, then you take their lives, Child." Masahiro ordered, as he heard his son scream in pain, which turned mechanical.

"Why you-!" Riku growled, before losing his composure, only to be knocked back with a bolt of black lightning, striking Riku in the stomach.

"RIKU!!!" Kira wailed, as he reached out to his secondary guardian, only for both of them to crash to the ground.

"Ta...zu..na…" Riku gasped in pain, his bolt trembling visibly from the high voltage of the electricity he sustained to his body.

But Tazuna himself wasn't himself. His highly evolved A.I technology that had been hotwired and thoroughly established in his brain and eyes had been hijacked. His limbs moved on their own. His actions were not his own anymore. Tazuna dropped down onto his knees, as he desperately tried to force himself free of his father's control.

'Father! Please! Don't do this to me! Please!'

Tazuna's mouth stuttered open, his teeth now resembling his natural wolf fangs. His attention was focused on Emael and I'mit, who were so busy begging for Tazuna to spare their lives.

"Please! Don't kill us! I'm begging you!" wailed Emael, as he only cried and cried in desperation.

"I've always felt Death wanted to claim me after He took mother away! But now I don't want that! I want to live! Please don't kill me!" I'mit pleaded, as her eyes could barely make out the blurry object of Riku.

"I'mit…" Riku spoke hoarsely, as he tried to claw his way towards her subconsciously, but never making it in time.

Tazuna's jaws clamped around I'mit's throat. Her soft flesh tainted with the taste of salt and grit was now overpowered by the gushing taste or iron. Blood vessels could be heard snapping like freshly fried sausages. Tazuna's ears were filled with the child's innocent screams, followed by the sickening gurgling sound of a life being lost by his own making.

'Father! Stop this! I'm not a monster! Please let me go!'

Tazuna peeled his jaws away from I'mit, her lifeless body laid before him. Tears flooded his own face, as his stomach lurched in disgust. Emael screamed loudly, as he fought and kicked, desperately wanting to get away from the friend-turned-monster.

"Get away! You killed her! You killed her, you monster!"

I'm not a monster! I'm not a monster!

I'm not a monster.

I'm not a monster!

I'm.

…

A.

"MONSTER!!!" Tazuna growled with an inhumane roar, before clamping down on Emael's windpipe and crushed it furiously, nearly disfiguring the poor child with his abrupt aggression. Much like I'mit, Emael's dead body silently looked peaceful in a way, before Tazuna was violently thrown aside now that he wasn't of any use to his father anymore.

"Well done, Child. Now. Let the true torture commence here onward." Masahiro cackled, as he seemingly vanished into thin air, as quickly as he came.

The Wolves could only watch as the dust finally settled, revealing the state of their surroundings. To the Wolves, looked indifferent to any other place where lives had to be taken.

"Riku!" Kira gasped suddenly, as he watched as Riku finally regained control of his limbs and mind. "Tazuna! He-"

"Get out of here." Riku ordered calmly, as he tried with every fiber of his being to compose his flaring emotions.

"Riku. Are you mad at-"

"I SAID GET THE HELL OUT HERE!!!"

Kira jumped and immediately evacuated the gorge, as his heavy heart could be seen through his tears. He ducked back into the forest, only to duck behind a tree and burst into tears. All of his emotions bubbling to the surface all at once. Hiding his face in his hands, the young Wolf wailed and sputtered in agony, out of the loss of his new friend. And the sheer disgustingly brutal fate caused by Tazuna under someone else's control.

Back in the gorge, Riku looked over and dropped at Tazuna's side, silently picking up his limp body, as he passed out from the overexertion on his body and mind. His eyes fell on I'mit and Emael, as he could imagine their past selves playing together and causing mischief together. To the secret vow they made to each other, both desperately wanting a better life than the one they were forced to live. Riku turned his head away from the children, not wanting them to be subjected to any more unnecessary torment.

"I'm sorry." was the only thing, a broken hearted Riku could mutter under his breath, before a silent tear streamed from his face, his eyes obscured by his hair.

The following morning, Riku and Kira returned to the gorge, having taken full responsibility for the deaths of the children. They buried them in graves, Kira putting the finishing touches with another flower. They both stood in silence, as they knew as much as they wanted, either secretly or openly, Human souls weren't subjected to find their place among the Spirits. The Celestial Council would be the ones responsible for guiding and judging Human souls based on their morals and character. No doubt, both Emael and I'mit would gain automatic permission to enter the Afterlife.

"What do we do now?" Kira asked somberly, as he stared at the two mounds of dirt in front of them.

"We keep going. There's nothing for us here." Riku answered, as he gripped his hands into fists.

"What about Tazuna? Are we...going to leave him behind?"

"He's not to be blamed for this. He never was in control of his own actions."

"That man. He looked just like an older version of Tazuna. Only...more tragically vengeful…"

"We'll worry about that whenever it's time. Come on, Kira. Tazuna's waiting for us."

Riku gently guided Kira away from the gorge, only for his eyes to see a book halfway covered in dirt and dried blood. Once he made sure Kira had made it to safety, he walked over and picked up the book. He was about to open it, until a slip of paper fluttered from it's pages. Kneeling down, Riku picked it up and saw a brush painting of a remarkably gorgeous woman. She resembled I'mit through and through.

'This must've been her mother.'

Storing the picture neatly in his coat pocket, he walked back and laid the book on I'mit's grave.

"You don't have to worry about wanting to die anymore."

Riku finally departed from the grave and met with his pack, Tazuna showing a remarkable amount of strength, as he appeared to be as normal as ever.

"Where to now, Tazuna?" Kira asked carefully, as he held onto his hand, nuzzling him affectionately.

"There's a line of train tracks ahead. We'll follow that." Tazuna spoke calmly, before he led his pack out of the surrounding territory.

"Lead the way, Your Majesty." Riku ordered, using the title to help Tazuna mentally remind him that his father, of his so-called father, was no longer in power of the throne, as the three of them walked into the Eastern Region.

"Yeah. Let's go."