Hounds of Night

An old, decrepit man wandered soundlessly through his home, his goal before the night was over set firmly in his mind. His task was hindered slightly by his slow and awkward movements, his muscles and bones long since worn out with time. Too often he would reflect on the days when his skin wasn't quite so sunken and speckled, and his voice not quite so rough and forced. Such days were reserved for much more meaningful tasks; not the ones he was presented with now. All this soul had left to worry about in such a day and age was shutting off the lights in his small bungalow, before he would return back to his bed for the rest of evening, and well into the following morning. He was waiting for the day he wouldn't wake up at all.

One by one, each box shaped room filled with antique furniture and caked in dust from years of neglect was plunged into inky darkness. Candles were extinguished and small lamps were distastefully switched off. He much preferred the light of candles. It reminded him of his childhood, while the almost false, electric lights simply made him think of the built up city life he had long since left behind him. The Change had come too fast. It wasn't to his favour.

As the final candle flickered out, the aged man let out a sigh and paused. Any movements became hard, these days. Even travelling the length of such a tiny bungalow became a challenge. After a moment or two, he shuffled back out from the living room and into the hall that was draped in cobwebs he could never reach, the bare floorboards creaking beneath his feet. Almost instinctively, his tired, grey eyes fell to the ground as he went, where his gaze settled on something lying in the shadows, pressed against the off-white walls. The disfigured shape alone in the darkness was enough to bring a smile to the old mans face. The only true light left in his somewhat meaningless life.

The man stooped over slightly as he reached the large mass on the ground, extending his wrinkled hand out towards the shadows. Warmth sunk through his calloused skin, fingers weaving through a mixture of soft and coarse hair. He smiled with the pure happiness spreading through him, as the surface below his touch shifted. The large dog rose his snout high, his curious brown eyes flecked with green wandering over his master, before he was blinded by yet another caress on top of his head.

"Good boy, Kai."

A low whimper escaped the dogs throat contently at the soft words, the old man tugging playfully at the animals snout before patting his broad body firmly. He then slowly returned upright to his usual stature, looking down at his companion thoughtfully. The creature watched him back in the darkness almost as if he understood the man's thoughts. His utmost loneliness and loss of knowledge in this New World. He had once been regarded amongst the smartest of scholars for his time. Now his time was well and truely over. Gone with the wind, they had once said.

The animal lowered his head back down to rest on his front paws, that glimmer of hope in the mans mind quickly fading into reality. The Change had taken away everything he had, and then provided him with all he had left. This large dog as his guardian, that didn't really understand the world around him as much as the man liked to imagine.

The man slowly shook his head, disappointment in the planet today echoing through his body as he turned away. Once upon a time, he had hope and looked forward to the future. The life he had led for the past 60 years hadn't matched what he had planned. He never dreamed he would grow old with nothing to show for it but a worn out house on the plains, and a protective pet.

Finally, through difficulty of his lower limbs beginning to tire, the man reached the last room in the small house. He threw a final glance behind him into the hall, a small smile on his lips as his eyes lingered over the dog, before closing the door behind him and shutting out the cold.

The old man shuffled across the room, stopping only to blow out the lone candle flickering by his bed side. He paused as he looked over his bed for a moment, the one he suddenly remembered he had made on his own, before very slowly crawling in. Once settled he pulled up the thick blankets, a mixture of soft animal fur and a patchwork of cotton, smothering his slowly decaying body. It was a world away from where he had been when he first came to this place.

He had built this house himself decades ago, in his youth, which was one of the fondest memories he could still recall. He had been a fine carpenter and hunter in his village, known for not just his strong mind but also physical attributes. He had been the grandest man of his age in every way, set to become the person every young boy aspires to be, and every young girl aspires to find in her future. To see himself now, or simply to look at the home in which he had created from the ground, bought him shame at the man he had become.

The old man breathed out deeply, closing his heavy eyes and silently thanking his lone companion for giving him the strength to live on. It was that dog who would scour the land these days, hunting alone before returning with food for the evening. He somehow knew the old man had long since lost the energy to manage a hunt himself.

It was then, with that thought in mind, that he made the same prayer that he did every night before letting unconsciousness take him. He prayed that when he finally found peace, and left this hate and shame filled world, that his dear companion would survive the long nights ahead on his own.

He prayed for the loyal Kai to live out the rest of his days, as happy as he had made his Master.

-

In the dark hallway of a weathered, wooden house on the plain, a wolf was stirring. His hazel eyes wandered the floor carefully, head resting down on his paws with his timid gaze only meeting ground level. His ears twitched as they tried to catch every sound they could in the still air, his strong body held still as he concentrated, every powerful muscle tensed.

Only after he was certain that all movement had ceased in the bungalow did he raise his defined snout, breathing in the scent in the air to help build his mental picture of the world. He could see for miles. The old man beyond the door was asleep.

Kai pulled his broad body effortlessly up from the ground, quietly stalking the whole length of the hall in a few short strides. He paused as he reached the glass paned door that was always left unlocked, his reflection vaguely projecting back at him from the smooth surface. It was an image he had grown tired of, these days.

After a moment, the large animal turned his head somewhat curiously to look back at the door at the opposite end of the hall. He could clearly pick out the old mans steady breathing. He was peaceful. Appearing calmed by the knowledge, the wild dog turned back and diligently pressed his nose between the door and it's frame, skillfully coaxing it open. His wide shoulders followed his pointed skull as it slipped through the new space and out into the warm night air, his tail barely making it through before the door snapped back closed behind him.

The wolf padded out across the small wooden porch, pausing to raise his head to the stars as he reached the few steps leading out onto the dusty ground. Somewhat content with the night, he bounded down off of the man-made surface and onto the natural ground, trotting out fully under the light of the moon. The soft rays shimmered across his off-white coat, highlighting the hint of yellow running throughout while disregarding the darker shades of grey. Such beautiful fur was out of place on such a darkened plain, the cracked earth matching that of a rich brown coat, tainted with gold.

He continued his walk across the parched ground, dust whipping up and irritating his sensitive nose. The land was more aged than the man resting within it, barely protected by his faltering home. Even the trees had dried or returned to the ground, trunks lying lifeless around the plain while a few still stood weakly in the breeze. The young wolf had learned everything about this land. It was one which he never dreamed he would find himself in.

Kai looked out almost solemnly across the dead earth as he came to a halt beside the cliff tops. He sat back on his haunches, head tilting to the side as if in deep thought, curious brown eyes flecked with green exploring the view. After a moment he bowed his head, allowing his perfectly defined and muscular form to collapse down to the dry ground. He was expertly formed in every way, well built and one of the strongest of his kind. He was much to his species, as the man he had met 60 years ago had been to his. One of the best. But the wolf knew he would long out live his Master's reign. It was the way things were, in this New World.

The lone wolf's senses, too, out performed most of his stature. It made it difficult to miss the dog wandering slowly up behind him, barely a few yards away now. He could all too clearly depict the lay of any land in just a few short breaths.

"You missed me, Kai?"

The wolf's eyes continued to search the empty plains beyond his own, choosing to ignore the voice ringing clear in his head. He had felt the presence for a long time, now. He had already caught the scent in the early hours of the morning before. It had been burning his senses for the past few hours.

"Hey, cat got your tongue?" The voice persisted after a moment, taking an amused tone this time. Kai resisted the temptation to snarl, instead concentrating on his original train of though as his eyes raised to the dark blue sky. He had been thinking for months, now.

After another silent moment, the wolf heard a less than threatening growl from behind him, causing his eyes to roll as he finally turned his head to look back, showing his profile to the visitor. The white teeth shimmering back at him in the darkness didn't phase the wolf, even less so than the deep warning tones behind it. He was used to this acquaintance's empty threats.

"Grow some claws," Kai hissed back at the dog, the growls behind instantly dropping into what could only be placed as a grin, the dogs tongue falling from his jaws happily. Kai shook his head before pulling himself up onto his feet, lazily circling around to face the one he hadn't seen in quite some time. The loyal Siberian husky from his past.

The dog's fur blended almost perfectly in with the night, the thick blue-black coat sporting a fair amount of his body, while the underside remained ice white. It was that which made him stand out clearly in the darkness, along with his piercing crystal blue eyes. The husky also almost matched Kai himself, in his size. That was rare for most dogs. It was something Kai respected him for.

"How's domestic life treatin' ya?" Kai heard casually, soon followed by the sound of cracking bones and popping joints. Kai wrinkled up his snout as his head rose up, looking distastefully over the new creature standing in front of him in a matter of seconds. Despite the husky's light humour and cocky personality, he knew when to get down to business. The wolf, in turn, knew when to follow suit.

Kai's vision faded to black for a moment as the transition happened. It was barely a few seconds for himself, though unfortunately it was one of his few weaknesses. Most dogs could change faster than he could, their build lacking a slight technicality that his did. It was one of the many qualities that separated him from the usual canine. He hated the transformation, while others could do it effortlessly and without hesitation.

A few painful seconds later, Kai curiously looked over his arms, his fingers running across the almost hairless pink skin. He breathed out sharply before cracking his knuckles and his neck bones, while the now transformed husky dog looked on, amused by his actions.

"You look like you've never changed before," he said, a lopsided smirk claiming his lips while the wolf continued to examine his new found skin with interest.

"It's been a while," Kai mumbled lightly, his tone deeper than he remembered it being. His gaze lowered onto the firm collar falling loose around his now much thinner neck, though none the less muscular. "This better be quick, I've got to be back before sunrise," he added, causing the dark haired man before him to grin wider.

"Wow, Kai, you're more of a dog than I am," he chuckled, making the wolf snarl at him. His laughter only seemed to grow. "And you know your teeth aren't half as intimidating now, right?" he added bluntly, sauntering closer to the wolf.

Kai scowled before lowering himself to the ground, crossing his legs beneath him, along with his bare arms across the black cotton covering his chest. One thing he disliked about the human form, was how far away from the ground he was. He had a habit of staying low at any chance he could get. The wolf also wasn't fond of the human skin tone, and the husky before him possessed one of the palest complexions he knew, considering his heritage. The mass of dark navy hair ruffled ontop his head and trailing down his neck, which matched his husky coat in hue, didn't exactly help his cause.

"Get on with it, Yas."

Without question, the husky quickly obliged, hands moving to unzip the hooded jacket that was wrapped around his body. He pulled back the dark blue material, revealing a bright white t-shirt beneath, with two black straps across his chest. His hand fell down to his left side, pulling a small, black gun from the leather holster resting above his hip. He threw it carelessly across to Kai without a warning, knowing he wouldn't need one. If he did, he wouldn't be in this business to start with.

Kai looked down critically at the object he had caught, before tucking it into the back of his belt without a second thought. "You actually look less of a street dog today. I'm impressed," he mumbled off-handedly as he glanced back up at Yas, zipping the jacket back up to his chest. "And what's with the chain?"

Yas chuckled and held a hand out to his accomplice. "It makes me look bad ass," he said lightly, tugging at the metal links around his neck with his free hand, while Kai allowed his partner to help him to his feet. "Beats a collar, Puppy Dog."

"Don't make me regret you saying that," Kai sighed as he brushed himself down, before checking his clothes for the necessary equipment. He wasn't a fan of weapons either, no matter how necessary they were to him; he much preferred his natural strengths as an animal. It was another of the reasons he differed from dogs. Kai actually prided himself in being a wolf and not a human despite that in today's world being a human counted.

The wolf glanced up from his search to find Yas watching him with a profound smile on his face. Kai knitted his eyebrows together, scowling at the husky in question. Yas chuckled as he turned on his heels, starting the long walk they had across the desert like plain.

"It's been a long time since we worked together," he said, a subtle hint of nostalgia in his tone. Kai's hazel gaze followed after the husky for a moment, before he slowly made his way after him. He never rushed to anyone's side.

"It's been a while since I've worked at all," Kai admitted, thinking of just how long he had been nothing but a house pet and a hunter. In truth, it was what he done best. It was all he had ever really known. "I'm surprised they still know I exist," he added in a mumble, unsure of himself.

Yas instantly broke into laughter. "Kai, are you kidding me? You're the best they've ever had! The big guys wouldn't lose you that easy," he managed to say between his chuckles. The wolf scowled over at his accomplice again, not appreciating his amusement. It seemed to be his most over used expression while in his human body. Like wise, it was only on occasion that he didn't snarl during the company of others as an animal.

"Well, if we're going to get this over with by sunrise, we should probably hurry up, eh Wolfie?"

Kai barely caught the wink sent his way, before his attention snapped forward and into the night. The dark-blue clothed husky dog had already sprinted off into the darkness, leaving only his scent behind as an inclination he had ever been there to start with. Kai sighed heavily in response, before bringing himself to stop moving altogether. He stretched out slowly and purposely, his hands rising high above his head as all the bones in his back snapped comfortably into place, followed by those in his knuckles as his fingers locked together. He truely hated this weaker body.

The wild dog lowered his arms back to his side, his eyes closing softly as his head tilted up towards the sky. He breathed in deeply, soaking in every part of his surroundings, momentarily reveling in the calm that seemed to sweep through him from the night air. It possessed a scent like none other.

Only once he was fully at peace did Kai take a single firm step forward, his mind focused on the ground beneath his feet. The simple action was quickly followed by a rush of movement, as fast as the moon rays travelling above and feather light in it's steps.

The Lone Wolf was running.