Lone Wolves

Asking Questions

Akuma slept for days, having used too much power to destroy the hydra. Keleth sat on his haunches beside her with his tail curled around Akuma.
"Keleth," Shini squeaked. "When will Akuma wake up?" The blue dragon ran his forked tongue over Shini's head.
"Fear not, little one." He stood and looked back at Akuma. "She'll wake up when the time is right." I hope. He thought to himself. Shini walked to Akuma and curled up beside her. Keleth laid down behind Akuma, curling his tail and long scaled neck around the two demon wolves. The pup's paws twitched, his lips raising to show just the tips of his little fangs. He huffed and twitched more, having a dream of chasing a rabbit. Akuma slept silently. Keleth watched her for a moment, watching the tree-dappled light turn her pelt a beautiful blue. Keleth smiled and closed his eyes to dream of the beautiful wolf.

Akuma's eyes snapped open. Blue scales filled her vision. She gasped for breath, suddenly finding it hard to breathe. Shini, who was curled against her stomach, leapt up and began to lick at her muzzle.
"Akuma? Akuma, what's wrong? What's going on?" Shini's voice was frantic, slowly rousing the sleeping dragon. Akuma painstakingly rose to her paws, panting for breath and coughing profusely. She kept her head down and her mouth open, panting as it passed, for now. She shuddered, her legs shaking.
"Akuma, what's wrong?" Keleth nudged her, purring lowly in worry.
"I...I don't know. Usually the elemental powers are balanced inside me but ever since I met you," She looked up at Keleth sadly. "The fire had been overwhelming. It's about to overwhelm me and I don't know what will happen." She shuddered and dropped her head, her eyes squeezed shut. She shuddered again, her muscled clenched as she raised her muzzle and howled. Her howl was pure pain and cut off as she collapsed, asleep.
"Akuma? Akuma!"

Akuma groaned and raised her lips in a snarl.
"Akuma. Get up." Keleth's voice was suddenly deeper and somehow older. Her eyes opened and the sun seemed...duller. The colors of the sky were bolder but everything else was muted and duller. Keleth stood over her, his neck curved down with his head near hers.
"Keleth," She growled. "Why are you looking at me like that?" He had a confused, worried look on his face.
"Akuma maybe you should stand, see if you can." Akuma glared at him and struggled to right herself.
"Wha are you talking about?" She snorted angrily. "I can stand just-" her sentence trailed off as smoke drifted from her nostrils. Her heart skipped a beat as she looked down. Her legs were scaled, ending in taloned feet. She turned hesitantly to see leathery wings folded on her back. Her scales were a flickering emerald green. Black spines ran down her back and her tail ended with black spikes. She spread her wings and then dropped them down limply. She stared at Keleth.
"What's...what's going on?" Keleth shook his head, an odd look on his face. Akuma narrowed her eyes and looked up at him with a slight smirk. He was still taller and pulled back slightly. "What's that look for Keleth?"
"Oh uh," He looked away. "Just surprised that you're a dragon now." Akuma looked down at herself.
"I don't believe you." She mumbles to herself, flicking a bit of dirt from under her newly acquired talons. Keleth smiled and pressed his muzzle under her jaw.
"That's okay." Akuma looked a him slyly before turning and looking around.
"Where's Shini?" Keleth reached into a bush and picked up Shini by the scruff.
"He ran in here after you changed." Shini shook with fear, his ears laid flat against his head. He stared at Akuma.
"Wha...what happened to you?" He whimpered.
"It's okay, Shini. I'm still me." He whined and shook his head, raising his paws to cover his eyes.
"Make it go away." He whined quietly to Keleth. Keleth shot Akuma a sad look before turning and setting him on his spiny back, where his neck blocked his view. Shini curled up next to a spine on his back. Akuma stared at the ground and worked the muscles in her back, slowly figuring out which worked her wings. She stretched them over her head and ran her now-forked tongue over the webbing. It tasted like dragon fire. She folded them back onto her back and raised her about, flaring her nostrils.
"Do you smell that?" She asked, looking over at Keleth. He nodded, his head raised as well. Akuma walked to the edge of the trees, stretching her neck past them. She snorted, annoyed that her new body size restricted her.
"Um Akuma?" She turned to look at Keleth. He was looking up at the cliff they had camped at. Near the top sat a creature. It had a lion's face with long horns curling over his redish mane. He had white eyes and his brown paws hung over the edge. About half way down his chest, the fur became shorter and stripes ran across his flank. His back hooves clicked as he shifted and his long thin tail flicked up, knocking a fly away with the tuft of hair at the end. It blinked slowly and looked down at the two dragons.
"Hello." He drawled, his voice deep and slow.
"Who are you? What are you?" Akuma hissed, finding it easier with a reptilian mouth. The creatures tail flicked again.
"Does it matter what I am? I have the answers you seek." Akuma looked to Keleth then back.
"You have answers?" Keleth asked, taking a step forward. The creature nodded and looked to Akuma.
"There is a price though. An answer for an answer."
"So ask." Akuma spat. She was getting annoyed by his nonchalant style.
"What always asks but never answers?" Keleth and Akuma looked at each other, confused for a moment by the riddle.
"An owl." Keleth mumbled, not looking away from Akuma.
"Correct. Ask your question."
"Why am I a dragon?" The creature dipped it's head.
"You are not a dragon, you are a wolf."
"Then why do I look like this?" The creature only stared at her.
"That was another question." Keleth whispered.
"What can you catch but not throw?" The creature flicked it long ear as the dragons thought it through.
"Sickness?"
"Correct."
"Why do I look like this?" Another slow blink.
"The fire inside you transformed you into the creature who gifted Ōkami with their power." Akuma lowered her head as the creature asked another question.
"If it's information you seek, come and see me. If it's pairs of letters you need, I have consecutively three. Who am I?" Akuma's head shot up.
"What? This one is different!" The creature stared, unblinking. Keleth glared at the creature before turning to Akuma.
"What do you think?" He muttered, hoping she'd understand.
"I have no idea." Keleth groaned and looked back up.
"Is it you?" Keleth guessed. The creature froze. It's paws twitched and his hooves clicked on the rock outcropping he was on. He pulled his paws in and slowly stood. He's shoulders stood taller then his rump with his shorter hind legs. He flexed his claws into the rock and pulled them back, scrapping them down the rock. His lips rose, showing three sharp fangs and one broken off. They then noticed his coat. He had various battle scars across his body and on his face. The thick muscles under his fur bunched up as he crouched down.
"Incorrect." He growled, sending a chill through Akuma. "Now you die."

-------------------------------------------------SHAMELESS CLIFF HANGER...sorry for the wait but here is the long awaited next chapter...enjoy