ash. He tipped his nose up and smelled.
Ivan looked to Grat and then to Denali. “What do you smell?”
Denali took in a deep breath of gritty air and closed her eyes. She held it and savored every nuance and exhaled slowly. Grat, Ivan and Samus watched her. She stammered, “I smell dogs, more then I’ve ever smelled. I smell old things. I smell dead things.”
Ivan nodded. His energy field shimmered in the dusty wind.
Denali glanced over at Ivan and peered at the strange looking box strapped to his chest. A relic of some long battle, she was told, and now he was almost invincible. Almost.
“We go in two packs. The maulers with me,” Samus said to the group. “The pups are with me.”
“That’s not—” Grat started to protest.
“—your decision,” Samus growled. “Unless you want to challenge me again?”
Grat looked down.
“Once they’re in the gates we’ll meet up and fight our way out.” Samus turned to Denali. “You’re with Grat, if you smell more, let him know.”
“We can’t keep pace,” Ivan added.
“We’ll be going slow enough to kill.”
Ivan looked satisfied with the answer.
“Take five paws of marauders,” Samus said to Grat. “All we need to do is get them in the gates. Don’t stop.”
Grat stared back at Samus and then averted his eyes.
Samus growled and loped away with Ivan close behind. The two stopped and spoke. Denali watched them and saw Ivan look back at her, no, she thought, back at Grat.
“Father?” Denali asked, but Grat was already heading towards his group. She turned with an eye on Ivan and ran after.
“Stay close to me, child. At the edge is a great wall. We’ll run that edge in. At the gates you will enter,” Grat said. “Enter the gate with your tribute, then they’ll let you in.”
Will it be enough? She stared up at the canister on his neck and prayed it would be.
Denali shivered in the cool air and tried to walk as tall as she could. The adrenaline ran strong and it hit her that in a matter of minutes the trial could begin. “Then what?”
Howls and barks sounded across the ash. The yellow dogs yipped and danced like heathens beneath the moon. Behind them dust-whipped clouds showed mirages of the wreckage. Metal things seemed to dance in the wind, but only dogs came out.
Grey dogs with muzzles covered in wiry hair. Black dogs with tails scraggly and short. There were dogs of every sort standing in groups and packs.
Several came out farther into the ash and howled at the yellow dogs. When the line of yellow haired dogs met them, they all retreated into the wreckage field.
Denali felt like her heart stopped cold. The fear of the unknown trial disappeared and a more immediate fear pulsed through her. “They’re all here to stop me?”
“No,” a shaggy faced mauler said. He turned and licked his fur. “They’re here to stop Samus.”
Denali glanced at him. “Why?”
The dog sat and the armor plate clanked onto the ground. “He gets a bigger pack and now he can raid them all. They be vassals then, to his pack.” The dog flicked his nose at Grat. “Like his old man did, that bastard ruled half these packs.”
“What happened?”
The dog yawned. “The old man got himself chewed up.”
“Oh.”
Ivan barked three hard sounds and the maulers, scattered about, all ran to him. They stood, shoulder to shoulder, with the sound of clinking steel. Ivan strutted in the forefront and looked to both Samus and Grat. He bowed his head to a small dog, a most definite runt, and sent him running towards Grat.
Denali watched as the runt, even smaller than she, trundled past. She followed him with her eyes and couldn’t help but give a nervous smile.
The runt yipped, kicked his rear high, and walked on only his front paws. He grinned at Denali. “Just lika de men!”
The runt dropped back down to four legs and stopped when he reached Grat. Grat lowered his head, listened, and nodded.
Samus ran out between the two groups and turned to
Ivan looked to Grat and then to Denali. “What do you smell?”
Denali took in a deep breath of gritty air and closed her eyes. She held it and savored every nuance and exhaled slowly. Grat, Ivan and Samus watched her. She stammered, “I smell dogs, more then I’ve ever smelled. I smell old things. I smell dead things.”
Ivan nodded. His energy field shimmered in the dusty wind.
Denali glanced over at Ivan and peered at the strange looking box strapped to his chest. A relic of some long battle, she was told, and now he was almost invincible. Almost.
“We go in two packs. The maulers with me,” Samus said to the group. “The pups are with me.”
“That’s not—” Grat started to protest.
“—your decision,” Samus growled. “Unless you want to challenge me again?”
Grat looked down.
“Once they’re in the gates we’ll meet up and fight our way out.” Samus turned to Denali. “You’re with Grat, if you smell more, let him know.”
“We can’t keep pace,” Ivan added.
“We’ll be going slow enough to kill.”
Ivan looked satisfied with the answer.
“Take five paws of marauders,” Samus said to Grat. “All we need to do is get them in the gates. Don’t stop.”
Grat stared back at Samus and then averted his eyes.
Samus growled and loped away with Ivan close behind. The two stopped and spoke. Denali watched them and saw Ivan look back at her, no, she thought, back at Grat.
“Father?” Denali asked, but Grat was already heading towards his group. She turned with an eye on Ivan and ran after.
“Stay close to me, child. At the edge is a great wall. We’ll run that edge in. At the gates you will enter,” Grat said. “Enter the gate with your tribute, then they’ll let you in.”
Will it be enough? She stared up at the canister on his neck and prayed it would be.
Denali shivered in the cool air and tried to walk as tall as she could. The adrenaline ran strong and it hit her that in a matter of minutes the trial could begin. “Then what?”
Howls and barks sounded across the ash. The yellow dogs yipped and danced like heathens beneath the moon. Behind them dust-whipped clouds showed mirages of the wreckage. Metal things seemed to dance in the wind, but only dogs came out.
Grey dogs with muzzles covered in wiry hair. Black dogs with tails scraggly and short. There were dogs of every sort standing in groups and packs.
Several came out farther into the ash and howled at the yellow dogs. When the line of yellow haired dogs met them, they all retreated into the wreckage field.
Denali felt like her heart stopped cold. The fear of the unknown trial disappeared and a more immediate fear pulsed through her. “They’re all here to stop me?”
“No,” a shaggy faced mauler said. He turned and licked his fur. “They’re here to stop Samus.”
Denali glanced at him. “Why?”
The dog sat and the armor plate clanked onto the ground. “He gets a bigger pack and now he can raid them all. They be vassals then, to his pack.” The dog flicked his nose at Grat. “Like his old man did, that bastard ruled half these packs.”
“What happened?”
The dog yawned. “The old man got himself chewed up.”
“Oh.”
Ivan barked three hard sounds and the maulers, scattered about, all ran to him. They stood, shoulder to shoulder, with the sound of clinking steel. Ivan strutted in the forefront and looked to both Samus and Grat. He bowed his head to a small dog, a most definite runt, and sent him running towards Grat.
Denali watched as the runt, even smaller than she, trundled past. She followed him with her eyes and couldn’t help but give a nervous smile.
The runt yipped, kicked his rear high, and walked on only his front paws. He grinned at Denali. “Just lika de men!”
The runt dropped back down to four legs and stopped when he reached Grat. Grat lowered his head, listened, and nodded.
Samus ran out between the two groups and turned to
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