Chapter 3

The full moon.

A path of lunar flowers.

Kiba could hear them singing as he ran. Or perhaps it was Cheza's song he heard. It was beautiful. He could feel it filling his spirit with hope, with determination, and with such strength! He grinned a toothy wolf grin as he ran.

Chaos. His friends, his pack, bloody and still. He ran for Darcia's ship, sure it was the only way to stop this, to save Cheza. He darted left, right, and then was blown into the air for the third time.

Excruciating pain.

Despite the pain, he rose and attacked again.

And was blown into the air again. It was getting harder and harder to regain his paws. His whole being shook with pain and exhaustion. And this time when he tried to rise, his body failed him.

All he could hear was Cheza's sad song, her tears.

"That is enough." She said, he voice low. She walked to him.

Kiba somehow forced himself to his feet. "Don't go." He was shaking. Cheza dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms so gently around him. "Don't," he repeated.

"It is alright." She said softly in his ear.

"Don't go Cheza." He couldn't seem to express anything but those words. But then he finally did. "We're wolves, we're not afraid to die." He choked out.

"This one knows that. It is alright. This one has decided. Kiba," She paused briefly. "This one will surely protect you." Her voice was getting distant.

Kiba felt his strength leaving him. "Che-za," He started to say, but his legs stopped supporting him and he fell. His eyes were dark, and his body was one big ball of fire; hot pain. But he could still hear her. Her light footfalls were almost like thunder in his ears as she went to each of his pack and gently ran her hands over their bloody fur.

His blood was so hot. The full moon was forcing his blood to run hot and his emotions to run high. He gathered himself for one last desperate effort. Taking strength from the moonlight on his fur, he got unsteadily to his paws and forced himself to take one step, and another, and another. They were getting easier now and the moonlight was spilling its bright light into his eyes. It wasn't even close to his usual speed, but he bared his teeth and continued.

And now Cheza was running to him, and they were feet apart. The world seemed to be moving so slowly and yet he could not make himself move any faster. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw red and knew that Darcia would kill him this time for sure. But that was alright, if he could save Cheza, it would be alright. Then Cheza was leaping towards him, and there were crystal jewels flying from her eyes, so many tears.

And the world sped up so quickly that it took a moment for his brain to catch up. He realized that he was once again blasted into the air, but there was little pain.

Cheza was whispering in his ear, her arms wrapped around him. "This one swore to protect you." And he knew she had protected him, saved his life. Taken his deathblow.

"This one loves you…" Her voice was fading. "Kiba."

And the ground was coming up to meet them, Cheza still wrapped around him, so even in death she would be protecting him.

Kiba jumped up, growling. He growl stuttered and died when he realized he was not falling, and Cheza was not wrapped around him, breaking his fall enough to save him.

Cheza was dead.

"Kiba?"

Kagome's soft voice sounded worried. He gave her a gentle smile, smoothing his hand over her tousled, wavy black hair.

"I was dreaming." He lay back down next to her, staring into her beautiful blue eyes until sleep claimed him once more.

Kagome stayed awake for a while after his breath steadied and deepened.

"Don't go."

"Cheza, don't go. We're wolves, we're not afraid to die."

"Che-za."

Kagome pondered these words. They had awoken her out of a dead sleep. She had considered waking him but he had woken himself.

'He must have been dreaming of when Cheza died.' She thought.

She was still thinking of his haunted words when she finally drifted back into a deep, dream-filled sleep.

And she dreamt of Paradise.

Light streamed through the window of the abandoned warehouse in dusty, sparkling waves. Kagome watched them with a certain reverie. "I think we aught to talk." She finally said.

"A… palaver." Tsume said quietly.

Kagome nodded. "Right."

Kagome and Kiba had caught up with the others pretty quickly. They all piled into the truck and arrived at the city just after sunset. Cher and Hubb had taken what little money they had left and bought something edible for them to eat while the others had found this abandoned warehouse and holed up until they returned. Little had been said while they were waiting and even less before they slept.

Now it was morning and they had eaten the last of the food. No one looked ready to move and Kagome had been up early. And she had wondered. What could have brought all these people… wolves… together?

"So, I'd like to know, um, ya know, how you guys ended up together. I'm curious about your story." She blew her bangs out of her face. "I told you guys about me, now it's your turn." She ducked her head. "I mean, if you want to."

Hubb looked at Cher, who nodded. "Sure, but if its okay, I'd like to hear the wolves' tale first, no pun intended." This brought a few grins to their faces.

"I guess I'll start." Kiba said, almost grudgingly. And so he plunged into his story, starting with how he had came into that first city and met Tsume. He told of his run in with Quent and how Hige had helped him escape.

Then Toboe had a turn, telling of his meeting with Leera and how Tsume had saved him. He continued the tale up until their escape from the city.

Tsume took the story from there, backtracking just long enough to tell her of the humans he commanded and how he was outed by them. There was a pause where Kagome was sure there was something he wasn't telling them, but he continued the story instead.

And then Blue had a turn, explaining how she had met Kiba, Tsume and Toboe with Quent and helping to try and kill them.

Hige took the story from there, bringing it all the way to the point where Darcia had attacked. Then Blue hesitatingly told of running from her buyers and running into them just after they had lost Cheza.

Hige eagerly took over, telling Kagome about Blue dodging an old mans bullets and saving their lives with her adorable cuteness. Blue was blushing.

Tsume explained about the men coming after them for humiliating them and for being wolves. But the old man helped them avoid detection by pretending to have killed them. Jaguara couldn't use dead wolves.

And then they had started across the desert together, only to find a woman passed out on a rock.

"Which turned out to be you." Kiba said.

"Oh. Huh." She looked at Cher and Hubb.

Hubb started the story with Cher's research of Cheza at that same city, and then he told them about the 'big dog' that was brought in almost dead. He put his meeting with Quent into more eloquent words then the old man had himself, but left nothing out.

Cher picked it up with how the Flower Maiden had been taken by Darcia and continued all the way to when Darcia had captured her. Then about her escape and the trek across the desert to the small city where she had found Quent. Cher had then continued on, following the trail of the wolves.

Hubb came back into the story, telling them of his search for Cher, and how he had traveled with Quent for a short while before finally finding her. And so they had started to follow the wolves together after Quent went MIA. And then they had seen the wolves chasing the Second Beacon of the Wolves. The Keeper of the jewel Cher had read about in the Book of the Moon.

"The Book of the Moon?" Kagome interrupted.

"Yes," Cher paused. "It is a pagan book in which wolves are creations of god and humans are their slaves."

Kagome's eyes had an excited sheen. "Do you still have this book? Can I see it?" She was almost trembling. Cher took the book from Hubb and slowly handed it to her. Kagome took ahold of it but Cher had not let go. Their eyes met over the book for a moment and then Cher released the book into Kagome's care.

Kagome ran her fingertips over the cover. She had heard of this book in her own time, a pagan book that worshipped wolves. She opened it and started to read.

"I tell you now the words of red moon. From the Great Spirit was born the wolf and man became its messenger."

Kagome closed the Book of the Moon. She sat staring for quite a while before getting up.

"I think we have to go to Darcia's keep."

"Why?" Toboe asked.

"I think we need to talk to this Lord Darcia." She answered. She shivered.

"Ah, that's not the brightest idea." Hige said hesitatingly. "We're lucky we survived the last encounter we had with him." Hige laughed nervously.

"Is he really that horrible?" Blue asked. Silence greeted her question for many moments before Cher and Tsume replied at the same time.

"No." Cher muttered.

"Yes." Tsume said.

They looked at each other, startled.

"How can you say that monster isn't horrible?" Tsume demanded.

Cher was coloring up a bit. "I… he never hurt me. He could have, but he didn't. And when Jaguara's troops stormed his castle he released me." There was a small smile on Cher's face that Hubb didn't like.

"When was this?" Toboe asked her gently.

"During the last full moon." She answered without hesitation.

Kiba, Tsume, Hige and Toboe all exchanged a look.

"Cher, that's the night he attacked us. The night Cheza died." He said, not without a bit of sympathy.

Cher looked from face (muzzle) to face. "Say true?" They all nodded. "Then I guess it must have been that girl I saw in the castle who let me go."

Hubb didn't like this conversation at all. "So! Why again to we have to go and see the bloodthirsty, mean-spirited noble?"

"I think we need to find out more about this curse and about the noble Jaguara."

No one argued with Kagome. So they all went out to collect food and then piled into truck to continue their journey.

Three days later they could see Darcia's keep on the horizon, beckoning. At sunset of that day they were outside its broken gates. There was evidence of a hostile attack, recent signs.

They stared at it for a long moment before entering.

"This doesn't seem like a bright idea." Hubb said quietly.

"I agree with you, man." Hige said. "This place makes my fur stand on end." He gave a comic shiver.

"It stinks in here." Blue complained. They were through the broken front doors and were walking down the once grande hallways.

Kagome didn't hear them. An odd shivery feeling was climbing up her spine and spreading throughout her whole body. Something was definitely wrong here. Yet she never stopped, and when there were divergences in the hallways she took the right one without hesitation. The others fell silent and followed her.

Now and then they came upon metal heaps, Jaguara's soldiers. Tsume kicked one that was twitching and it stopped moving. They saw a door up ahead that was thrown wide open and there was no movement beyond. There was a broken, high pitched noise that almost could have been crying. They entered slowly.

Straight ahead of them was an odd bed with a naked, beautiful woman upon it. Odd wires connected to her and ran up to a metal contraption above her. Her long, green hair shielded much of her from. It twined all the way down to her ankles. Somehow they all knew she was dead. Next to this odd sight was an even odder one, Darcia. The odd noise they had heard before entering was coming from him. He was on his knees, his bloody face resting against the corner of wall just there. There was a hopeless, drowning expression- Wide open unseeing eyes, jaw unhinged and hanging.

A small woman with purple hair in dark clothing was trying to rouse him to their presence. She finally succeeded and Darcia turned to him, not bothering to change his expression. That was the scariest thing.

"Lord Darcia…" Kagome started to say.

"Silence- you!" And he peered closer at her as his eyes focused. "I can feel you. You are-" He rose abruptly. His eye was naked to them and Cher told Hubb not to look into his face.

Kagome was unaffected.

"Please, Lord Darcia. I am Kagome, the Guardian of the Jewel of Four Souls. I have questions…"

"I won't answer them." He said, a manic grin on his face. "You are the Second Beacon of the Wolves and I cannot use you, nor will I allow them to open paradise."

Kagome stared at him hard, that is, until Kiba's stare caught her eye. She looked to where he was looking and gasped.

A small girl (You know who it is) was lying on the floor. Her- Cheza's hair was dull, her skin wilting. She lay dead not feet from Kagome, who had not noticed her right off. She gave off no life energy, and so Kagome's focus had gone to Darcia. No longer. She haltingly made her way to the fallen Flower Maiden and went to her knees. When she turned her over and looked into a young, pretty face. An unusual face. This girl felt so familiar to her in such an odd way that she hugged the lifeless body to her before setting it gently back to the floor. She kept her eyes averted as the wolves each went to Cheza. It was too painful to watch.

So she instead went to the woman lying dead on the bed. An odd song came into her head and she started to hum it, looking into the woman's beautiful, lifeless face.

"Don't do that." Darcia's voice was low and commanding. She ignored it. She wasn't sure why, but she felt the need to sing this woman to the next world. It seemed right.

"Don't do that." He repeated strongly. She heard running paws. Tears were running down her cheeks and she continued humming, heedless to both.

"DON'T DO THAT!" Darcia screamed. Kagome felt danger and turned just in time to see Darcia's sword coming down on her. Then suddenly Kiba was there, biting into Darcia's arm. Darcia threw him off and Kiba flew through the air and landed on his paws, sliding a foot or two. He charged Darcia again.

"Murderer!" Kiba yelled. Darcia's sword came down.

When they stood opposite each other again, there was a scratch down Darcia's cheek and on Kiba's muzzle.

They charged each other again.

Quent'd had no trouble following their trail to Darcia's keep. He knew the wolves were inside and he entered with the shooting fever in his blood. Not to mention the whiskey in his blood. Despite that, his eyesight was sharp and he walked down the hall, letting his instincts lead him.

Soon he didn't need instincts. He could hear fighting up ahead and that was enough to lead him.

Kiba was getting covered in his own blood. Darcia stood with one arm limp, blood running down his fingertips. They were breathing heavily. A gunshot forced both of their attention onto the shooter.

"I found you!" Quent called triumphantly from the hallway entrance. "And now you're dead!" He leveled his gun at Kiba. He was about to shoot when Blue appeared in his sights, in the way.

"Get out of the way, Blue! I'm going to kill the wolves that murdered our family! Move, Blue!" He screamed at her. She stood her ground. He swung his rifle to the next closest wolf, Tsume. Tsume sprang into action as shots rang off close to him.

Chaos reigned as Hubb and Cher ducked to avoid the bullets. The wolves were all running now, trying to avoid being shot. Blue was running straight for Quent and though he leveled his rifle at her, he hesitated. It was all the time Blue needed to jump onto his shoulders, knocking him down.

"Run!" She told the others. Kiba grabbed Kagome and all the wolves -plus Cher and Hubb- ran. Blue stayed long enough to swipe her tongue along Quent's cheek in apology before following them. Quent got up quickly.

The first and last thing he saw was Darcia's golden eye. He fell back down, out cold.

Blue glanced over her shoulder and saw this. "Pops!" She screamed and turned back.

"Blue!" Hige yelled after her, but she ignored him. He went after her. Blue went to Quent, lifting him up and placing an arm around her shoulders. Hige went to her and seeing the look on her face, helped her carry the old man out.

Darcia watched them go, not bothering to prevent their escape. It did not seem purposeful at this point.

Instead he went to his Beloved Homina. He shut her eyelids with a small, insane smile.

Then he picked her up from the bed, tearing the wires from the ceiling. He slowly marched her to the outside world.

Outside, the wolves plus Cher, Hubb and Kagome watched as Darcia climbed up and stood above them with Homina. They could see tears running down his cheeks. He began to swing her, round and round, looking down into her dead face.

Darcia looked down at his beloved, swearing to love her forever, swearing to find her in paradise.

"But first, I have a small piece of business to take care of, my love. I must find Jaguara and take vengeance on her for killing you." He spoke to her softly.

"I will kill her, Homina. And then I will use the Guardian to open paradise and we will be together once more."

A trail of dust followed the car as the group drove away quickly, never looking back at the madman perched above them.