To Kill A Wolf

[Adam Kohaku]

Fresh blood. There was a trail along the sidewalk. The creature that had been bleeding had just passed through, taking the sidewalk until finding a hidden alleyway. There were a few bloody paw prints here and there as if a dog had walked through the blood. Oh, but it was no dog who made these prints. A wolf had passed through.

How long had the trail been leading him? The paws had started off as normal prints in the dirt. Now, they had turned bloody. The creature was wounded and desperate for safety, but no safety would be found in this city of the nobles. One of the Kohakus would definitely make sure the creature would not rest peacefully until it was dead.

Adam Kohaku. He was the one on this trail, making a name for himself as a fierce wolf hunter. Wolves could not escape him. He tracked them with an intensity unlike any other human could possess. It was as if he could smell them, as if he could hear every movement they made. If there was a wolf in the area, Adam could track the beast down.

Down the alleyway and through the maze of back alleys. The wolf had been limping; the dirt on the ground had been dragged and greatly disturbed. The hunter could sense that he was getting closer to the creature. Soon he would be face to face with the beast who had lost its ability to move as freely as it once did.

A dead end and there was nowhere else to run or hide. The buildings blocked in the small alley and at the end stood a great dark gray wolf. He was no young pup; he was older than most Adam ran into and much more fierce. The wolf was greatly wounded. A long gash ran down his side and blood was spilling out upon the ground beneath him. He was snarling and growling at the hunter. There was frantic wildness within his large amber eyes. The wolf was a cornered wild animal who now had nothing to lose.

Without a word, Adam rushed forward. His katanas were already in his hands, ready to strike. The wolf met the hunter head on. A quick movement and Adam was out of the way of fangs. The hunter found himself at the side of the wounded wolf, bringing down on of his katanas.

Blood splattered upon the brick walls of the buildings. Adam pulled his blade from the wolf’s back and watched as the wolf fell to the ground.

[Sythe]

~At The Entrance Of The City~

It was loud. Why a wolf would like this city was beyond her. Why any animal would live here was beyond her. Her cold onyx eyes shining under the sun, that had seemed to shine down on her. She stuck out like a sore thumb. Girls had their hair up, or hat sun hats on, dressed in yellow sun dresses, or pink one. They were with their expensive boyfriends, wearing exotic make up. When she walked through, she got a few glances, she ignored them. People stared to her, some talked about her, some pointed fingers.

She felt there had been no need for conversation. She closed her eyes, as the light shined through her, the more the dark had consumed her...she pretended..she was burning..burning bright. This is how she always felt. She had to live through it; maybe every one knew she was different; maybe they all knew the shame of her existance. She didn’t care. Non of them could be in her situation. Her foot steps stopped. and her eyes snapped open. Blood. It was in the air. It seemed to wrap around her throat, and she was about to choke. She ran towards it.

~Entrance Of The Alley Way~

She had skidded to a stop. Her eyes widening, as she saw the blood. She placed her hands over her mouth, as she took a step back. One word came to her mind. Hunters. She felt herself take another step back. Into a person, the person stopped and looked to her, before walking, she kept taking a step back until she hit the lamp post. Her black eyes wide. She had to get out of this city...she had too..

She Felt the rage go through her body. She could tell by the smell. The wolf had been old. She felt her gloved hands close into tight fist. She ran into the alley way, stopping at a skid. She stared to the dogs corpse. She looked up to the man. She felt her muscles tighten, as she stared to him, with dark eyes. ”That was my fathers hunting dog!” She spoke softly, a lie...but maybe the hunter could feel bad.

Nah he wouldn’t. She realized that long ago. That animals to them, had been nothing, to hunters...

[Adam Kohaku]

Someone had followed him; he could hear the sound of her footsteps and then her soft voice. A whisper of some hunting dog. Adam was no fool. This was no dog, and even if it was, he had no care. This was a wolf that he had slain, and there was no doubt about that. How many encounters had he had with the wolves? Too many to count upon his hands, that was for sure. He knew the differences between wolves and dogs. Wolves were bigger and more willing to put everything on the line to show some sort of animal pride.

Adam turned to this girl and eyed her as he sheathed his katanas. Was she worth words? Well, who was truly worth the words of a Kohaku? No one, but maybe he could call her out on her lie. He doubted she had known of this wolf at all. So, why would she be coming up with a quick lie to tell him, the hunter? Perhaps, it was time to investigate.

“This was no dog,” Adam said, his voice slow, deep, and smooth. “I am no fool; I do not fall for lies that easily. Why would you want to lie for this animal, though?”

Perhaps he had said too much. Well, he had said much more than he usually did to anyone. She should feel privileged, but she would not. Of course, she was just a stranger’s face among many.

[Sythe]

She stood there, her hand over her mouth. As she watched him sheath his blade. Now was the time. Her eyes turned pure; ice cold blue. She took a step forward, and her speed was ridiculous, she was gone, out of sight, then he felt a pain as he was slammed to a wall, her eyes were blue, and she had fangs. Both of her arms were pinning down his to the wall. Her eyes narrowed, so he couldn’t grab his sword. She narrowed her eyes, and in the moment he saw her. It was no longer a woman that had him pinned to the wall.

But it seemed to be hazy, a black wolf with markings along its forhead. Markings of a once captured wolf. Her lips were inches from his neck. ”I could kill you..right now..” she spoke, and after that he heard a dogs snarl. But there had been no dog in sight. ”But me doing this...would mean I am no better then you.” she spoke softly, as she jumped back, but his sword in her hand. ”You can’t smell it...you are not like me...” She spoke, taking another step back. She threw his sword into a dumpster. It clang, as if crying out for its master.

She growled, and there standing in front of him was the wolf. It was smaller then the corpse of a wolf over there. But she was clearly younger, her cold blue eyes stared to him. ”I can smell the blood on the blade...each drop...is a life..a life you have taken.” the wolf spoke, she turned her back to him. ”So tell me now, who is the noble and who is the beast?” she questioned softly, her ears going limp along with her tail.

She looked to him. ”Follow me if you wish..but I will not promise I will not rip off your hand..so you can never grasp that again.” The wolf ran off. There was a scream of a girl, as the wolf rain. She didn’t care right now. She jumped over a parked vehicle, running slow enough for the human to follow.

[Adam Kohaku]

Had he been caught off guard? Perhaps a little bit. He had not expected the girl’s movements. But was she a girl? Of course not. She was a wolf. The girl who had stood before him was an illusion of sorts. The explanation would come later for now the hunt was calling Adam’s name, and he would surely have him another wolf’s blood upon his blade.

The hunter quickly grabbed his katana that had been thrown carelessly into the garbage. He would worry about the filth that had touched his sacred blade later on. For now, he simply sheathed the katana alongside the other and ran after the wolf. The chase had begun once more.

There was no fear in Adam’s heart. All fear had left him in his childhood. He had a job to do, and he would surely do it. Her words did not really put him off. If anything, they angered him only slightly. Noble was not a title for this Kohaku. Regardless of the luxury Darcia provided, in Adam’s mind he was still of the streets. He was still the one who stole and killed in the darkest of alleyways.

Adam twisted through the crowd of people following after the wolf. He knew she would not get too far. She had challenged him; she had not ran off with her tail between her hind legs. He could see the black fur of the wolf, and his heart began to run fast with the anticipation of battle.

[Sythe]

She had been running slowing down for the hunter to come at her, she then skidding to a stop, and altered her body, as she then started to run at him. People screaming, she didn’t care much, if they got in her way they would be pushed to their back, her fur had been perched up, and her blue eyes had been focused on only the hunter. He was the only threat. Until they brought the guns, and the dogs. This was her world. She felt her self start to drool at the thought of blood. But she ignored the urge to rip off his neck, and shove it down his mouth.

She jumped up, as she focused on his shoulder blades, she had to take out his arms first. Without them, his arms would be nothing. She went to bite his shoulder, but if the missed, she would drag her claws across his face. His blade was not a worry to her. She was a strong, healthy, young wolf. Only old wolves had retired to this town. She saw three of them watching the fight. Two old men, and a old woman, they all kept their heads down, except the old woman. Who watched, with something in her eyes.

Hope?

She growled, to him, as she went to close her teeth around his shoulder blades. She felt her heart beat explode, and with that a loud snarl came from her snout, that echoed down the street, it seemed to shake the whole city.

[Adam Kohaku]

The hunter was swift, swifter than what he seemed. The wolf came at him, and he was instantly ready. They always went for the upper body when they attacked. Adam was not surprised at this one’s movements as she came up towards his shoulder blade. The moments were brief, but his movements were quick enough to move his shoulder away from the fangs.

The wolf’s claws ripped over his cheek, and as the sharp pain became hot on the side of his face Adam took out his twin katanas. In a flash of metal, he attacked with enough force to knock any creature away. His aim was unable to pin down a vital organ, so the hunter’s swords went after what they could find. The leg, the hip, or even the tail was what the katanas chased after.

Adam jumped back away from the wolf after the attack. He rubbed at his cut cheek with the back of his hand, smearing what blood she had drawn from him. The hunter was almost surprised that he had allowed her to get that close to him. Most wolves did not even get the chance to cast a scratch upon him. Oh well, perfect games did not happen every day.

[Sythe]

She didn’t yelp as she was thrown off to the ground, fumbling as she had a small, wound on her hip. She growled, as she rolled she stood up, trashed and scattered, she growled, and ran at him, as she jumped at him, no over him, she landed right behind him, a move that he would not have expected that from a wolf, she looked to him, and ran at him, not to bite him, but to trip him? If it did work, she would be over him snarling, her drool hitting his face, if it didn’t she would alter her movement again, like a snake. Her body was oddly flexible.

He was wasting his time messing with her, her blood was cold enough she could have been a snake. She barked at him, her fangs baring, as she ran at him again, it looked like she was going to jump but he couldn’t exactly tell. Thoughts running through her mind He who makes a beast out of himself..gets rid of the pain of being a man. She was hardly an inch from him, then she turned going to his blade? No his wrist. She was either really brave, or stupid...and usually they go hand and hand.

Another snarl could be heard. It hadn’t been from her, it had been from behind him. Where the old lady had been, a great white wolf stood there. It growled to him. Was it a pack? A plan? ”Our pack use to be like her, use to be fearless. Now we are lucky enough to hunt! I am sick of it!” the elder wolf barked to specifically no one, but the two old mean looked up, before looking away as the white wolf came running in, going after the other blade.

This seemed to fuel sythe, the wolf was a lot slower then sythe. But this showed sythe...wolves were never going to give up. They were sick of the illusions they pulled.

[Adam Kohaku]

This wolf was quick, and Adam took note of that. Her body twisted like other wolf he had seen. She jumped and moved about as if she was trying to confuse his eyes. The hunter was experienced in the art of the sleight of hand tricks, and the way she moved her body was no different. He kept himself on his toes, moving about accordingly. He could not allow her to get the upper hand by forcing him to the ground.

She went at him again, going for his hand. With a quick movement, his fingers were barely taken away from the path of her teeth, and one of his boots went upward to kick the wolf. Then he heard it. Another growl. There was another wolf, and now it came bounding to get into this fight as well.

The crowd seemed to be eating up the intensity in the air. No one ran off. Their eyes were locked in on what was happening. Maybe they did not see the wolves for what they were. Maybe they only saw large dogs attacking a man with swords. Regardless of what they thought, Adam just wanted them to keep their distance. The area was already crowded enough with wolves.

Adam quickly went after the approaching wolf. This one was slower, and the movements were much easier to predict. For a brief moment, he turned away from the black wolf and ran towards the white wolf.

“Stupid dog.” The hunter struck. His blade dug deeply through the wolf’s side, leaving a thick gash where blood instantly started to flood the street.

[Sythe]

Sythe was thrown to the ground, and she rolled to the feet of the crowd. She growled as she stood up. Her wound had been hurting, blood seeping out of it. She got up, and her ears perked up, to a yelp. The white wolf had been bleeding, but it seemed, she had gotten a hold of his wrist, keeping him in that position, his sword in her side, her teeth chomped down on his wrist. She now had a reason to kill this hunter now.. She stood up and darted off, she would tackle the human to the ground. She made sure she hit him with all of her force, when he hit the ground, he could hear the snap of his wrist being popped out of place, and he hit the ground. It could be compared to a care wreck, as Sythe used his body to jump forward landing on the ground.

”Get up!” she ordered him, circling him. As the old wolf bled out, her seize on his wrist became weaker. Sythe looked to the elder, and her ears perked back, before her fur perching up, and her snout pulling back. Showing the massive canines as she let out a howl. It echoed through the city, her head back as she howled, it made everyone shiver, and then they seemed to realize what she had been.

She then ran at him, if he was up or not, now bent to kill. As she heard the slow of the old timers heart, as the wolf layed down. She didn’t deserve to die here. She hadn’t deserved to die at the hands of a hunter, she went for his knee, he’d go down in size...

[Adam Kohaku]

The hunter was attacked multiple times, but if the wolves thought they would win well they were quite mistaken. Adam was no quitter, and he would continue to fight regardless of the circumstances. His wrist was now badly damaged, but it was something that could easily be fixed when he found the time. Now, however, was the time to destroy these wolves.

The Kohaku was quick to jump to his feet. He cared nothing for the wolf’s command. He acted on his own desires. He ripped his wrist away from the white wolf, and his good arm held tightly to its katana hilt. He struck the old wolf with his blade once more, pushing the creature feet away from him. Dark blue eyes turned their attention to the fast approaching black wolf.

“You will not kill me,” the hunter said as he dashed forward towards the beast. All he could think of was to kill this creature. She had to die by his hand. Adam Kohaku was not meant to be made a fool by a wolf. He brought his blade down towards the wolf.

There was a scrambling of feet, and many of the crowd moved aside as police officers pushed through them. Adam paid them no mind. His target was still directly in front of him.

“Stop there,” one of the policemen called out to the hunter. Why must the law always tamper in the affairs of the hunters? Especially when they ended up constantly apologizing for interfering.

[Sythe]

She growled loudly as he killed the elder, she jumped up, and in mid jump her attention was to something else, causing her to jump over him. She turned her head, then growled to the man, before running off. She ran into the crowd, and passed it up, before running quickly to the closest corner, and changing into her human form. She held her wounds, and rested her head against the fence. Her eyes closing, as tears streamed down her face. She lifted her head back. The police had followed the dog, as others pointed their guns to the hunter.

A howl was heard, it was low and mourning, it echoed through the city. Making everything pause, as they seemed to listen to it. The white wolf lay there. Hollow golden eyes, a pool of blood soon around it, as it’s body lost blood temperature and it stayed there.Sythe couldn’t get the vision out of her head. The woman had helped her..and she died helping. Sythe gripped her wound, as she walked out. Two police officers saw her. “Miss have you seen a large dog run by?” She looked up to them, smiling. ”I am sorry but..no” she spoke, and winced as she walked away. “Are you hurt Miss?” The younger of the two asked. ”I am fine.” she spoke before running off. Blood splattered followed it. She turned the corner, and jumped up, landing on the roof. She leaned against the end of it, and looked to it.

Time to get out of town.