Ruby had searched high and low, tracking her Packmaster through the wilds and losing his scent where a skirmish had taken place. She nearly dove in after him, but decided against it. She returned to their inn, finding Une also wondering.

“He fought-dueled beast.” Ruby said as Une entered their room, “Lost him over river-water.”

Une paled, “He can’t swim.”

Ruby shifted, “Joking-jest? Dog-hunter perfect warrior-fighter.”

“No. He can’t swim. He’s usually afraid to even go near water. I had to drag him out of the ocean twice.”

“Ah… I will pursue Dog-hunter.” Ruby rubbed at her throat through her covers, “He will not likely die. But I can… Track him. Stay here.”

“I'll be damned if I stay, I’m going after him.”

“Too risky. We cannot risk you being harmed. You are important to him.” Ruby fought down the glare behind her eyes.

Une studied her, “You’re jealous.”

“No!” Ruby turned, heading for the door, “Packmaster’s mate takes priority. You must stay safe.”

“I’m flattered by your sudden concern, lass. But I’m not a maiden fresh out of the flower, I can handle myself.”

“Irrelevant.” Ruby grinned to herself as she tried the new word, “You stay. I hunt-search. He is my packmaster-nestmate.”

“We aren’t even… We aren’t even steady. We aren’t seeing each other like that. I’m not that valuable to him.”

“Liar.”

“Excuse me?”

“Dog-Hunter never cries! He cries-wet face for you!”

Une flushed, “That doesn’t mean anything. We just haven’t seen each other in a long time..”

“Liar!” Ruby challenged, “Liar-Liar! Dog cares!”

“Enough.” Une shook her head, “Fighting won’t find him.”

“He lives.” Ruby shrugged, “Dog-Hunter is unbeatable. Never dies. Only once! And he killed-hurt himself! Doesn’t count-matter!”

“He’s only human.”

“The best human. I find. You wait here in case he comes back.”

“We stand a better chance of surviving out there together. You haven’t been here before, have you?”

Ruby’s eyes darkened, “Nothing worse than the warrens.”

“Maybe. But that doesn’t mean this isn’t still dangerous. If you died he’d be upset. Let’s do this together.”

Ruby hesitated.

“Trust me. It’s safer, and smarter.”

Ruby relented, “Fine. I will guide you. Come, grab a kit-stuff.”

----------------------------------------

“Something big.” Ruby sniffed, “No scent.” She watched the tracks beneath her, a movie playing out in her mind, “Big beast. Attacked Harlow, Dog shielded her. Blow sent them over into the rapids.” She said, “Scent gone. Traveled down river. Search towards the coast.”

“How are you sure he didn’t drown?” Une asked anxiously.

“Harlow swims.” Ruby confirmed, “She would have pulled them out, or he would have floated down the bank. She survived-lived, for certain. If she hasn’t returned, she must be watching-protecting him somewhere while he heals-rests.”

“Is she capable?”

“Less than me.” Ruby said smugly, “She is a coward, but when not afraid, strong for human. Great duelist.”

“Is she strong enough to pull him out of the water?”

“He isn’t heavy-fat! Harlow is very simple. If he dead, she come back-run away.”

“What if they both died?”

“Not possible. Dog too strong.”

“You’re awfully certain.”

“Stronger than when you knew. He has grown much. Come, night comes quickly, we run.” Ruby took to the trees, “Follow if can, heavy-fat foot.”

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

Une glared, sheathing her sword on her hip and jogging after her. They ran for several leagues, Ruby signaling to her with flicks of her tail as wandering packs of undead shambled by, or other creatures prowled the mist. The sun grew heavy in the sky, Une’s face wrought with anxiety as they traveled. She would never admit it out loud, but the Rat was adept at navigating the forest, nearly as good as she. She allowed it to guide begrudgingly, arguing a waste of valuable time, the guilt gnawing at her grating at her nerves.

“We make camp. Too dark, too much coming out.” Ruby said, “Hear things moving, crawling. Something is not right. I find cave.”

“Ruby, you need to go.” Une said, a seering pain ripping through her chest. She collapsed, her breathing harsh, and violent. An unrelenting sense of vertigo making the world around her spin.

Ruby glanced at her, confusion on her features, “Go? You said hunt together. Why go?”

“Ruby, you need to run!” Une grabbed at her head, cursing loudly, “Dammit all! It’s not due for another few days! Why now? Why is this happening now? Froak you rotten bastard I’ll kill you for this! I thought I had time! I thought I had time! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”

Ruby’s ears spun on her head as dozens of howls sounded out in the night, booming on the canyon walls to their west, and ringing out across the granite crags and forests.

“Ruby, run! Please! I’m sorry I thought I had more time!”

“What happening?” Ruby drew her blades.

“He’s summoning me early. Run, dammit. Ruaaargghhh!” Une screamed, the sound shifting in her throat, deepening and molding itself into an unhinged roar. Ruby watched, eyes wide with shock as Une’s limbs extended and bent, her bones ripping and stretching as her skin sloughed off her body in ashy chunks. She grabbed at her chest, screaming out in agony as she doubled over, tearing the flesh from her face so a canid maw could sprout where her features sat, skin falling away like rotten paper, sloughing off in dry chunks.

Monster! Ruby jerked, pulling her third blade from her back with her tail, before launching herself backwards, twisting up into the canopy. She bolted through the trees, howls chasing her. They ran through the darkness around her, snarling and hissing as heavy paws tore apart the earth, smashing through the underbrush with a wild glee.

“Stupid-dumb dog!” Ruby chittered, casting a dagger into the darkness and laughing when a yelp and thud followed, her claws lashing out to grip another branch and swing herself forward. She felt the wind move, bringing up her blade in time to catch a set of giant claws. She winced, the force behind the attack catching her off guard and sending her flying through the air. She twisted, throwing out the blade she gripped with her tail and spun herself back towards her attacker.

She screeched, flipping her blade as a tawny colored canid lurched at the acrobatics, familiar gray eyes full of shock, “Gah! Stupid wolf! Une?” She struck it over the side of its head, sending it careening to the ground with a yelp. She dashed forward, more shapes closing in on her in the darkness.

“Go away!” She grunted, flipping into the hair and twirling, daggers flying like raindrops as she peppered the forest, grunts and screams sounding out around her as she vanished into the darkness. She slunk forward, feet light, and dove into the water, submerging in the icy flows and glaring into the world above.

She cocked her head as the wolves approached, some on all fours, others on two legs. They sniffed and prodded, some bleeding from fresh wounds. An enormous black beast stepped forward, its nose held high. The pack turned, dozens of beasts staring up in confusion, before a swarm of shadows blurred towards them, slashing with knives of silver.

The carnage was cacophonous, grunts and growls, teeth gnashing, humanoid shapes moving nearly as quickly as Dog with an organized precision, the blood spilling from their foes driving them into greater frenzies. The dogs tore their foes limb from limb, surrounding their enemies on all sides as they struggled through their overwhelming numbers, fighting on despite the loss of their arms or legs. The wolf at the lead howled, and they retreated into the darkness.

“My lord.” A humanoid figure spoke, “We have driven the wolves back. Shall we pursue?”

“No.” He replied, sheathing his silver blade, “Return to the keep. The prisoner is too valuable to leave unguarded for long. We’ve drawn our share of blood for this trespass. Grab your arms and legs, men! We’re heading home before the sun rises.”

Ruby grinned, slipping out of the river as they fled, chasing after them amidst the night. They moved quickly, fast enough that she struggled to keep pace. They led her to a spiraling fortress of jacked spikes, its gates of steel masterfully forged, and laced with silver.

“Interesting.” Ruby chittered, “Silver blades? Hunt-follow.”

She slithered up the walls, each step as slow as she could manage, noting men and women upon the battlements. Their eyes were strange, and catlike, movements jerky, and violent. As if they’d almost forgotten what their flesh could do. She slipped into the keep, careful to avoid slicing her paws on the battlements.

“How long till that captive wakes up?” One called, resting against the murder hole along one of the towers.

“Hard to say, I heard. She’s a great wizard, and would serve the master well. But he cannot force her mind to awaken. She’s turned, at this point. But we are to remain on high alert, lest she escape.”

“Can she?” He scoffed, “She looks like a corpse. If she doesn’t get any blood, she’ll die. I doubt she could do anything of real value at this point.”

“If she dies we get to hunt those damn dogs. It’s a win-win.”

“They’re moving in too far. I don’t like it.”

“Coward.”

Ruby hummed, tapping her thigh, before dropping into the courtyard. She froze, watching as the strange soldiers came into the light, their armor revealed to her as a brilliant violent crimson. They guided their procession with an unspoken arrogance, red eyes glowing in the darkness around them.

Men and women nude as the day they were born were paraded around on leashes or chains. Forced down onto their hands and knees, their mouths gagged with steel or wood, bite wounds across their necks and thighs, bruising along most of their bodies. They moved robotically, and stiffly, eyes wide with horror, but unwilling to resist as their masters beckoned. The red warriors fed without care around their tremendous gothic bonfires, dozing and chatting, others drinking and worse as they relished in their hedonism.

Ruby shook her head, slipping through the courtyard through a nearby alley between what appeared to be an armory and storehouse. She glanced up at the tower, slipping around it till the firelight and moonlight deepened the shadows, before scaling. She climbed quickly, and gracefully, exhaustion showing in her movement despite her best efforts. She checked window after window, eyes scanning room after room, before they settled on a figure laying on a metal slab.

Her body was thin, and yellowing. Her skin was paper like in appearance, hair thinning, and falling from her scalp. Tubes full of red liquid ran in and out of her body, cuffs holding her unmoving form down at the ankle and wrist. Ruby nearly pressed on, pausing when a pair of violet eyes opened, spying her, then quickly slamming shut. She shivered, and scratched at her chin, unnerved by the corpse-like body.

“Note for Dog.” She whispered, slipping down the tower, out of the keep, and fleeing into the wilderness, her presence hidden as the fog swallowed her, nobody any the wiser.