Lone Wolves

Keleth

Akuma trotted along the path wearily. She was afraid one of those scales beasts, a dragon, would appear and attack her. Her mind flashed to the shining spines and wicked sharp claws she saw in the flash back. She shook her head. She looked around and found herself in the valley where the memory began. The air was still and the ground silent. She walked to the cave where the egg was. The fire around her hind leg trembled and flared up. The orange tongues licked up her leg, moving to the rest of her body. She licked her lips an noticed the taste of the flames had changed. The woody taste was now more acidic. Like dragon fire. She thought to herself. The fire died down and she twisted around to look at her leg. The rope of fire was now green with tinges of blue. She slunk into the cave keeping her nose up. She went to the back of the cave to find...nothing. She snorted. She pawed at where she remembered the egg was. Fractures of the blue shell littered the area. Akuma collapsed. This isn't fair. I came all this way and some sneak theif got it years ago. There was a low rumble behind her. Of course. Ōkami will punish me by shaking the ground. It grew louder and she turned. Her eyes widened as she was faced with tan belly scales. The paws below that had four talons dug into the earth. She could see a slim, muscled body covered in sapphire blue scales behind it and a long rudder like tail behind that. Her eyes tracked up the long neck to the snake like head. Smoke trailed up from the beasts nostrils. It's muzzle ended like a birds beak and the ridges above it's eyes and along it's cheeks had small spines. Two dark horns sprouted from it's head. It raised it's wings on either side and screeched to the ceiling. It's wing tips brushed the top of the eight foot high cave. It folded it's wings with a snap and lowered it's head to be level with Akuma's. Her ears where pinned back and her tail between her legs. The dragon stared at her.
"Who are you to disturb my hatch." The beast had a low, smoky voice and spoke it as a statement. It soon became clear it was male. His eyes flicked to her hind legs. He swung his head around to sniff at the green fire around one. He screeched in anger and pushed Akuma back onto her back. She yelped quietly but made no move to arise. He bared his sharp teeth. Each one came to a sharp point. He raised a paw and put it on her chest.
"How do you have my flames?" He sounded desperate. Akuma coughed, having trouble breathing under his weight. He pulled up slightly and she took deep breaths.
"I am the heir to Ōkami, goddess of wolves. She gave me all the gifts and told me to find the egg, to find Keleth." The dragon recoiled like he had been hit. His chest rumble in a frightened growl. Akuma slowly got to her paws, coughing.
"How do you know my name." She glared over at him.
"Have you no brain? I just told you, Ōkami told me." He tilted his head. He...looks like Shini, no more sure of his power then a pup. She reached out and licked his scaled muzzle. He tasted of soot and dragon fire. Keleth recoiled slightly, confused by the wolf. He say on his hip, making Akuma laugh at how childish he was. She sat straight and cleared her throat.
"Let's start over. I am Akuma, sole heir to Ōkami. I was sent to find you because your kind are coming back." Keleth's eyes shined and he leapt up.
"My kind? They're coming back! they didn't forget about me!" Akuma stood.
"No no no, I'm sorry. They're not coming for you. They're coming to scorch away the Majikku wolves." Keleth snorted soot.
"Why come to me? I don't care about you fluff balls." Akuma's eyes flashed white and Keleth's eyes widened. She growled, the flames around her hind leg sparking and growing. She stomped her paw into the ground, causing it to ripple out.
"You will help or be destroyed." Keleth turned away, eyes closed. His fear scent rolled off of him but he snorted soot cockily.
"Fine." Akuma calmed herself and trotted from the cave, Keleth circling in the air above her.
Shini ran out of the cave to Akuma, tipping and bouncing around her paws. She lowered her muzzle and nuzzled his side. He tugged on her ear and she pretended to be weaker. She fell onto her side and Shini climbed over her head to put his tiny paws on her chest. He raised his muzzle and let out a squeaky howl of triumph. There was a low screech from above them and a shadow passed over them. Keleth suddenly landed heavily on the scared ground, raising a cloud of dust and obscuring himself. Shini yelped and his behind Akuma. Keleth stretched his head down through the dust to nudge Akuma to her paws. Akuma snapped at him. He withdrew, looking confused. Akuma growled.
"Was it really necessary to acre the poor pup?" Keleth looked even more confused.
"I though he had...I just thought...I'm sorry." Akuma rolled her eyes and turned to the shaking pup. She licked his forehead.
"It's alright, Shini. This is Keleth. He isn't anything to be afraid of."
"Hey!" Keleth pouted and Akuma ignored him. Shini stood and walked to Keleth. He sniffed at the dragons large paws and his scales muzzle when he kindly lowered it. Shini perked up and leapt onto the dragon's muzzle. Keleth laughed, a deep sound. He tilted his head, causing the pup to tumble down into his paw. He nuzzled the fluff ball then set him back on the ground. Shini chased after a grasshopper and Keleth curled his long body behind Akuma with his head near her.
"I'll help if it means he stays safe." Keleth mumbled. Akuma smiled and laid against him, resting while watching Shini play, naive to the war that would soon be waged around him.