Lost? No way, I'm exploring!

[Minnow]

Night was beginning to fall. The light of day was fading, though the sun, casting it's red glow on the clouds, seemed to not want to go. At least, that was what Minnow thought. He had always felt like sun didn't want the moon to have her time. But that was Minnow; young, full of ideas, and lost once again.

"I'm not lost," he told himself aloud. I'm just exploring someplace I don't know, he added silently.

Minnow tilted his head back and cocked it to the side slightly as he looked at a bird heading for its roost. He licked his lips and set his icy blue gaze in front of him. He set his pace at an energy conserving trot. His tail was curled over his back, his eyes bright, ears forward.

He had always wanted to please his owner, to be an impressive sled dog. He wanted to run, but for some reason he wasn't good enough. They didn't like what they saw, he supposed. Humans didn't make much sense to him. Instead of getting to pull a sled, he had been sold to a family to be a pet for their young boy. Minnow, he had been named. He didn't even know what a minnow was, or if it was something at all. He liked it, despite the fact that since he had slipped out of his collar and had started exploring some dogs would snicker at his name. Why? he wondered.

The shadows grew darker, longer, until dusk finally dimmed to the darkness of night. The more farther away he wandered, the more he realized that he didn't miss the people at all. He knew there were stray dogs that lived in packs around here, though he didn't know much about them. He knew he wasn't fit to be a loner, he hated being alone. Now didn't count, he was exploring and his mind was running at a pace faster than his trot.

A growling in his belly made him stop and his tail and ears drooped. "Oh, I didn't think about food." He sat down for a moment and thought. He could try to find his way back to his humans, or he could try to hunt. He stood up instantly at the thought, his tail curled over his back.

However, as the night waned, Minnow realized that it really was harder than it sounded to hunt. His usual good temper seemed fouled by his hunger and the disappointment of coming up short. I can't run on a team and I can't hunt. What good am I? He sighed, but somehow he knew that whimpering wasn't the answer, although it seemed like an easy way out to just lie down and cry. I'm not a baby anymore. I'll prove to myself if no one else that I can hunt.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but after finding nothing he heaved a sigh and stopped by a small creek to drink. Tilting his head back, he looked up, moonlight reflecting off his eyes.

[GB]

GB wasn't usually a dog out on patrols or out in the dead of night. He was one of the least imposing of Ohu's soldiers. Most dogs would laugh rather than be threatened by his questioning. Going out at night meant there were dogs that just loved to use the night to hide themselves and GB stood out like a bright beacon with his mostly white coat. GB had come a long way in his time with his godson and his friends; he was a staunch soldier of Ohu and he had fought battles that none would have thought he could before.

That didn't mean he had to like going out at night though.

The Setter took slow, deliberate steps as he made his way through the forest. The forest was always alive but it seemed more so at night. Creatures that didn't stir during the day were out and most of them were hunters. None of them would think to disturb a lone dog, of course, but that didn't mean that the sounds that they made and caused were any less unnerving. After all, the sound of an owl swooping down and ending the life of a small rabbit was always unsettling. It made you consider your own life in retrospect.

There were still bears, after all. GB had even heard rumors of wolves still existing. Any of those would think a dog was a tasty snack, right?

Just down to the stream, up to check the old human structure, then back to Gajou. A quick trip. Nothing to go wrong. He was in safe territory. There were patrols around the place besides himself. GB was fairly certain he could raise up an alarm and someone would come running to help him. It might not be one of his friends but surely some other dog, some subordinate out doing his job. He had confidence in Ohu even as he paused every few steps to double check that there wasn't someone sneaking up behind him.

There was nothing, of course, but it always sounded as if there was. The English Setter heaved a sigh of relief as he came upon the stream. That signaled that he was on his way back home; it was the spot to turn and make his trek back towards Gajou and his companions. The white and black spotted dog paused though at the sight of another dog. The regal head was tilted upwards and the light from the moon flashed in the eyes. An intruder? A new member of Ohu's ranks? There was only one way to know and that was to talk to this intimidating dog.

With a false bravado that was always easy to see through, the smaller dog puffed himself up and took several confident steps towards the other dog. "You there."

As an opening line, it was rather unimpressive but that was GB all around.

[Minnow]

The sound of someone's voice made Minnow's ears flick back. He turned his head sharply to the side, blue eyes wide. Minnow was possibly overly-friendly and most definitely naive to the possible dangers of being away from his humans. He stood up and wagged his curled tail. With a a rather bouncy trot he made his way over to the other dog.

"Hi there," he greeted cheerfully. He had briefly forgotten his hunger and how tired he was getting. He also seemed to forget that he was trying to be less puppy-ish and more like an adult. Prancing around didn't make him look like anything more than a puppy. His still thin build was more proof that he was young.

"I'm Minnow," he grinned, his tongue lolling from his mouth. His eyes were glittering in the moonlight.

Quite like GB, Minnow didn't blend into the night very well. Only his top half was black, and, quite frankly, Minnow had no idea as to what blending into the night could offer him if he could, that is. Though, he had learned that being noisy caught no prey. He would have to learn how to be quiet. Everything seemed to know he was coming. However, not-so-streetwise Minnow wasn't really sure how to go about that just yet. He was determined to get better at hunting, though.

[GB]

Rather than be intimidated -- which no one, not even GB himself, would really have expected -- or be threatening and respond with a threat, the young male before him began to wag his tail. The dog made his way to where GB stood with no obvious thought in his mind other than excitement at seeing another canine out here. The build and the overall happy nature gave the clues that this was a young dog. Old enough to be on his own, certainly, but still caught up in the puppyish ways that many young dogs had.

GB hadn't been home for long but he didn't think he had seen this dog around Gajou, though he had the personality to be one of the subordinates that lounged around. Not all of Ohu's soldiers and subordinates were friendly but most of them were. Many of the ones that were grouchy and gruff still were friendlier than dogs GB had met outside of Ohu. If this was one of those dogs that showed up, hoping for acceptance, the Setter was fairly certain that he would fit right in.

After all, there was a passing similarity between this dog before him and Weed. Not the same, no; after all, Weed had been through many trials and while might be younger or close to the same age as this dog but he'd fought some hard battles. Similar, yes, but definitely not the same.

The black and white dog exhaled a sigh at the greeting, "Don't you know, you should be careful who you run right up to!" GB was forever lecturing the Ohu dogs on their follies and their crazy need to prove that they were as good as the dogs that had come before them. What point did you prove in jumping a chasm in a cliff except that if you didn't make it you were quite dead? Never mind, of course, that GB had done it as well. It was still pointless. It was no surprise that he felt the need to tell this dog the dangers of trusting too readily. Just a year ago and the move could have gotten him quite dead or at the very least put into Hougen's army whether he wanted to be there or not.

"You could run into the wrong dog, you know." Of course, most of the wrong dogs weren't around anymore thank goodness. They didn't need to deal with more Hougens. The spotted dog let out another sigh before straightening up. He had certainly failed to intimidate the young male but he also hadn't really needed to. This Minnow seemed quite friendly and eager. "I'm GB. You're in Ohu territory right now." He figured maybe he didn't know. Not that Ohu was overly strict about dogs passing through but some of the soldiers were more hard on trespassers than others.

[Minnow]

If only Minnow knew that there were dogs out there with ill intentions. Lucky for him he hadn't ended up somewhere where he would be taken advantage of. He was also lucky he had run into a dog that wasn't very scary, not that Minnow was quick to turn his tail and run. He had never encountered a reason to flee as of yet. So far the most he had ever encountered were snickers when he introduced himself. No one had been cruel towards him, though.

Minnow tiled his head to the side as the black and white dog scolded him for running up to him. "Well you didn't seem like you'd hurt me," he said uncertainly. Though, now that it was brought up, that didn't really sound like a good reason. Still, he had a hard time thinking that another dog would hurt him.

He had known some dogs that were not particularly friendly at the kennel he had been born at, but they wouldn't have hurt him. Minnow looked down at his paws, his eyes narrowed and brows furrowing as he thought. This dog didn't seem like he would hurt him, though. After all, he scolded him like his mother might have. The thought made him laugh, and he looked back up with his blue eyes glittering once more.

"I never thought another dog would hurt me. No one's ever hurt me before," he sat down and cocked his head to the side again.

"It's nice to meet you, GB." He wagged his tail and grinned. "Ohu territory? What's... what's that?" His eyes were still bright, but now they glimmered with curiosity. No. He wasn't afraid of GB, nor had GB's warning's done anything to dampen his good-spirits.

[GB]

Well, if there was a harder blow to his pride than that GB didn't know what it was. The kid didn't think he would hurt him. Not that GB would; GB might not even be able to, even though he'd gotten better as a fighter since he had met Weed and the others. The male knew he wasn't really an imposing sight, even when he was trying to be, but to be so casually dismissed was a bit of a blow.

Of course, letting another strange dog get so close to him wasn't really showing much caution on GB's part. Not that he could have really halted the happy bounding towards him. He wasn't setting an overly good example, really, but what could he do? Besides, if there ever was a dog that was as he appeared to be it was probably this one. The puppy-like quality made it very hard to distrust Minnow, certainly.

The Setter's jaw dropped open just a little at the question. What was Ohu? That was a question he hadn't run across very often. Most dogs were filled to the brim with legends of the Ohu dogs of the present and the past; many of them had encounters with the soldiers of old, such as Gin or Smith. Many of the younger ones had helped with Weed's cause just recently.

Their country was a big one, though. It stood to reason there were dogs that wouldn't have been a part of it at all, pups that had only just been born when the conflict was gearing up or even after and hadn't been born into families that told or even knew the legends. It was silly and a bit self-centered to think that everyone would have heard of Ohu. Though if you were in the region, GB would think you would have heard something.

"You're in it. It's the land claimed by the dogs of Ohu," GB told the younger dog. "Everything from the outskirts of the village to the Ohu mountains belongs to Ohu and its Leader." There was no small amount of pride in his voice at having been a part of that, having helped to win Ohu back from Hougen's army and secure Weed and Gin back as the rightful dogs to lead and keep Ohu safe. "You don't know the story?"

[Minnow]

If Minnow had known that he had hurt GB's pride, or feelings, he probably would have felt awful. He wasn't a dog that liked to be mean. He would stand up for himself, but he was never intentionally mean. He was deeply curious about Ohu, and GB proceeded to tell him that he was in it. He was in Ohu? Ohu was a place then.

"Ooh," Minnow's eyes were wide and mystified. To think that a dog owned such a large place. His image of a leader, however, was that of a lead dog in a sled team, as that was what he had grown up around. However, the lead dog still was below the musher. Minnow's brows began to furrow again as he tried to figure all of this out. It was so much to think about. But it was so exciting! He was now so glad that he had gotten out of that itchy collar and run away from those boring people.

"So you're a dog of Ohu?" He queried, the look in his eyes was still one that had gone from absolute awe to one that was trying to sort things out. He shook his head at GB's question. "No, I haven't."

It seemed silly that GB would ask that. Minnow almost laughed. How could he know the story if he had never heard of Ohu to start out with? The look of deep concentration faded from Minnow's bright blue eyes and he grinned. "Would you tell me the story, GB? I'd love to hear it!" He stood up, unable to sit any longer. His curled tail wagged as he stared hopefully at GB.

Minnow loved stories. His mother used to tell him stories, ones of the races she ran in, and other stories about his dad who he had never met. His father had been the Akita Inu. From what his mother had told him, she wasn't supposed to take him as a mate but she had loved him. All those ideas seemed so abstract to Minnow, he only took her words for surface value, as most children do.

He had been particularly fond of the stories his mother would tell him that his father had told her. He was a wanderer that "was bound by nothing or no one," at least, those were the words his mother had used. When she spoke those words, though, Minnow recalled her looking rather sad. She would pause and then sigh before continuing on with some tales of adventure. It didn't take long for Minnow to disregard the look of sadness in her eyes, but at the moment, he would always stare at her and wonder why she was so sad.

[GB]

"I'm a soldier of Ohu!" GB proclaimed the statement proudly. Of all the things he had done in his life, it was one of the few he could be proud of. He was a part of the legacy of the great land. He might not be as talked about as some of the other dogs, that was true, but he'd put his stamp on this land. Even if he had done nothing else, he had brought Weed here. He had helped set the story in motion. GB had fought and infiltrated enemy areas -- by accident but no one new needed to hear that -- and been made a true soldier. It was no wonder he had some pride in the title.

The Setter felt himself gaping again at the youngster. "Eh? Me?" GB wasn't the most eloquent of dogs. He cut corners and he stammered when he felt intimidated. In truth, they very rarely ever had to relay the stories of Ohu to any dog. When they did, it was usually a job left for the older dogs or sometimes a new resident that felt like passing on the story.

There was no one here to tell that story, though. You didn't bring a dog to Gajou just to hear a story, either. By Ohu's principles, of course you could, but some of the dogs who made it their duty to keep Ohu and Gajou safe would have his hide. As non-threatening and puppy-like as Minnow was, GB wasn't ready to drag him off to Gajou just yet. Besides, he might not even want to come. Maybe he would prefer to head down to the human village for all the white and black-spotted dog knew.

GB could see the utter delight in the younger dog's eyes as he asked to hear the stories and the way the energy seemed to radiate off of his being. He wondered if all puppies, or caught-in-between dogs, reminded him of Weed or if it was just the joviality of this one that did it. With a sigh, the Setter plopped his hindquarters down onto the ground. He relaxed a little bit. This dog wasn't even aware of the possiblities that there were others out there that would hurt him. GB was beginning to feel there wasn't a mean bone in Minnow's body.

"All right, all right. Ah, I don't even know where to start," GB exclaimed with another sigh. The story was so long and so many characters involved. Did you start at the beginning? The middle? All good stories started in the beginning, of course, but to do that he had to take Minnow back years and years to when Weed's father began the Ohu legend. GB wasn't lazy but he wasn't exactly wanting to throw his entire night away with the full history of Ohu, either. They could be here for hours.

The older male shifted a little, lifting a hind leg to scratch at his neck for a moment as he thought. "You don't know anything about the area, then? Mm... well, this land has been fought for. Many lives have bought it and much blood has been shed to keep it as it is. Ohu is called the Dog's Paradise because anyone can come here. All dogs can reside here peacefully with no fear for their life regardless of their background or their abilities."

It was just a start, just a small hint of the story to come. It was also the beginning of a warning that was relayed in the story itself. Not all dogs were kind. Many dogs wanted something from others; power and greed could be just as commonplace among the canines as it could be among the humans.

[Minnow]

Minnow was in awe. "A soldier?!" His eyes brimmed with admiration. His only idea of a soldier was like something from one of his mother's stories. There hadn't been much detail, and he couldn't remember much of the stories, but a soldier seemed so important! I want to be a soldier of Ohu like GB... Minnow thought.

Of course, he hadn't totally been sheltered from the idea of good or evil. A lot of his mothers stories talked about such things, but they were all just stories, right? After all, he only got to hear these stories for eight weeks. Most of them he couldn't remember, which saddened him. He wished he knew more about his father, the wanderer.

Minnow just continued staring hopefully at GB as he seemed to question telling the story. He was glad when GB decided to. Minnow sat down again, his curled tail wagging slowly. The words GB spoke seemed to wake some distant words in Minnow's head. He wasn't sure what it was. Perhaps the way GB told of how much blood was spilled to keep Ohu a Paradise for Dogs. For any dog. Without fear. Those words seemed to rattle in his brain the loudest. ...with no fear for their life regardless of their background or their abilities.

"Wha-why do the have to fear for their lives other places?" GB warned me that I could run into the wrong dog. Was I just lucky that I ended up here? Are some dogs that cruel? He was almost afraid to hear the answer, but it seemed fitting. Like the stories with good and evil. So they must have been partly true. He thought. Oh, I wish I could remember them. But an idea better than remembering stories filled his mind. GB could teach him!

[GB]

GB puffed up a little as the younger dog looked at him with respect. GB wasn't afforded a lot of respect. No one looked down on him, of course, but he wasn't a dog like Kagetora who would throw himself into the fray, he wasn't the great protector Jerome, he wasn't an ageless indomitable warrior such as Ben. He was just GB. He was the godfather of Weed, he had fought battles and thrown himself into the enemy to help protect this land and those he believed in but he still wasn't quite the same. So to have someone looking up to him was something new and quite enjoyable indeed.

"Not all dogs are willing to accept everyone. Not all dogs are kind." GB had already hinted, more than hinted, to that to Minnow. GB never thought of himself as someone who would disillusion the young but he was. He was a worrier; he was a pessimist. GB saw the darker things that could slide up behind you and take hold. It was only through his godson that he had begun to see that there was light to chase away the dark at times.

The Setter shook his head to dismiss those thoughts. He wasn't really getting into the stories this way. He was distracting himself. He wanted other dogs to be prepared but he didn't want to terrify Minnow into fearing every single dog. That was just as bad as trusting every single dog, honestly. A soft sigh dropped from his muzzle before he gave his full body a shake. Right. Story. Better start with Gin, at least a little. For that was where it started.

"The generations of Ohu go back to Riki; he was the original Leader and the father of Gin, who is Weed's father. Back when Gin was a pup there were bears in this land, more than there are now. One of them was named Akakabuto and they said he was a demon." GB didn't know whether that was really true or if it was just exaggeration. He hadn't even been thought of when they were taking the bear down. He knew the stories, knew he was a mighty foe, but he hadn't been there. It certainly made for a good story though. "Akakabuto was terrible; he slew humans and dogs, he ruled the other bears even! He was a fierce foe. He killed Gin's grandfather, Shiro. Riki was wounded terribly by the bear as well, presumed dead, but when Gin left the safety of his humans and went into the woods they found his father leading the dogs."

Was he cutting it too short? Leaving too much out? GB wasn't a master storyteller by any means. While Gin's story was important the one he knew best was the one he had taken part of. It would be better when he got there. At the very least, Minnow was getting some of the history of Ohu. A better storyteller could fill in the gaps later on for the young husky, he was sure. Hook was good at it. He'd heard one of the subordinates that had arrived when he wasn't around was good as well. Maybe someone would take pity on him and fill him with the stories of Ohu.

"Riki united the dogs of Japan. His platoons went out in search of those who would help bring down the demon bear. The platoon led by Ben, Smith and Gin covered the most ground and returned with many dogs; they went to Mutsu, to Kasumi, to the ancient lands of the Iga clan, to Shikoku. All over! They amassed an incredible army to fight the demon bear and his generals at his stronghold; a fortress of rocks called Gajou. Even though they had incredible numbers, though, the fight was terrible and lasted for quite a long time. Many were injured and killed and eventually not just the dogs but the humans joined in. Many brave soldiers lost their lives, including Riki. He passed Ohu and Gajou on to his son, Gin."

It was still hard to believe that all of that had happened. Even GB, who had seen amazing things. The world had been different fourteen years ago. He shivered to even think about the fight that had taken place. How had they defeated that bear? How had Ben, blind as he had been, survived having the first attack? What would have happened if old man Smith, then a young dog, hadn't brought the humans to the battle? Would the dogs still have triumphed? He gave himself another shake before he gave Minnow a slight grin. "That's only just the beginning."

[Minnow]

It was beginning to sink in that not all dogs were kind, but it seemed to him that GB was hinting at something darker. It gave him an uneasy feeling and the young Siberian husky mix felt his ears lower just slightly. Minnow's imagination seemed to fill his mind with the idea of dogs that were not only not kind, but that were also savage; evil. The very idea made him want to squeeze his eyes shut. He was glad that he had met GB instead of a mean dog.

Minnow was quite glad when GB continued with the story. To Minnow, the names really didn't mean all that much, but, dimly the did. Dimly he felt like perhaps he did know these names. Maybe in some of the stories his mother had told him? Stories that his father had told her? He couldn't remember. It was too long ago, he had been too young. He gave up trying to scratch his brain for memories he wasn't sure were still there and instead listened to GB's recount of Ohu's history.

Wow, I wouldn't have wanted to meet that bear... Now, bears he had heard of. He didn't really find reason to fear them, though. He was certain that he could run fast than any fat, lumbering bear. A demon bear, though, well that was a bit more terrifying. If it was a demon, could it catch him even if he was fast?

Minnow found himself imagining that he was there, one of the dogs that had fought to bring down the demon bear, Akakabuto. It was a strange feeling, really. The young dog had never let his mind find a spot in a story and let his imaginary self wander through the fabrics of time and legends. When he didn't know about something, he let his mind fill the gaps, and the story became beautiful in his mind, himself one of the soldiers.

His ears lowered and he subconsciously dipped his head in respect for the fallen. He didn't know them, nor their names, but something in him realized that they deserved respect. They had bravely fought and died for a cause bigger than themselves. Minnow's eyes widened as the thought of dying for a cause larger than one's self hit him. The idea was so foreign that it was almost hard to grasp, but at the same time, he hoped that one day his name might be remembered by someone. Would he ever be worthy enough to be named in a legend?

"Only the beginning?" Minnow gasped in astonishment. "What happened when Gin was the leader?" Minnow felt he might burst with curiosity. He wished he knew these brave dogs. Even after only the abridged version of the story, Minnow knew he wanted to become a brave and noble soldier of Ohu. He knew now he would never go back to the humans. Not that they had given him reason to leave. They could find another dog for their pup, but Minnow was certain he had found his destiny.

[GB]

He let Minnow process all of the stories and his words. Even if they were short, cut and watered down some they still had an impact. Any dog that heard the Ohu stories usually reacted the same way. Astonishment, remorse at the loss of such good dogs, a kind of awe and fascination. It was a pretty common expression but GB was pleased to see it. In his eyes, it made Minnow even more trustworthy than his puppy-like ways had. Dogs that meant harm, who were evil, who looked down on Ohu... they wouldn't hold the same awe, the same look in the eyes that burned with a desire to see these places, to meet these dogs and to be these dogs.

And they certainly wouldn't ask for more stories.

GB's knowledge of most of Gin's rule wasn't as sharp as it was for when he was a puppy and for Weed's. There were still legends, of course; still parts of the story. He just didn't have as much knowledge about it as he did about the battle with the demon bear and with Weed's own story. The one was infamous, a legend, the other he had experienced firsthand. The black and white dog racked his brain for a moment as he tried to remember more details than just the fact that Gin established Ohu and kept it the Dog's Paradise.

"There was a war with wolves. I know that. After that, there was fourteen years of peace. Gin, and his friends and generals John and Akame, ruled here and the Dog's Paradise was safe," GB hoped someone could tell him more. Maybe one of the older dog's like Ben or Kurotora or Gin himself could tell Minnow more stories about their escapades after the battle with the bear.

Four years with absolutely no problems. The world as they had known it at peace. It was hard to believe, but hadn't they settled into their own peace too? Spring followed winter, after all. "Gin found a beautiful female named Sakura and they fell in love. When she was with pups, though, a monster attacked." GB shook his head for a moment. He didn't think any dog that had never seen Kaibutsu could ever relate. You could imagine something large and monstrous but to really know the terror that they had felt... no, he didn't think many dogs could relate.

"I mean a monster. Not a so called demon bear but a true monster." GB had been there. He had heard the story, seen it with his own eyes. "Created by humans. It killed the dogs without a second thought. For her own safety and the safety of the unborn pups, Gin sent Smith, one of his oldest friends, away with her to help keep her safe."

The next part of the story he knew intimately well but he would not tell Minnow that. GB carried shame for years about his role and there was still a lingering guilt. "They were separated, unfortunately, in an incident where old man Smith lost his leg. Sakura was left alone to bear her pups, one of which was Weed. Our Leader."

He paused for a moment to let Minnow receive and let the gravity of that sink in before he puffed up again just a little, "That's when I found him." Of course, he didn't say he found him because Weed had stolen a bird from him and GB had been too nice to take the food away from the puppy that was hunting for his ill mother.

[Minnow]

"Wolves..." Minnow silently mouthed the word. He had heard of wolves, but he remembered being told they were extinct here in Japan. Maybe they weren't then. Minnow was awed anyways. Though all of these ideas and pieces of stories were making him think, making him look at things slightly different. War, peace, demons, monsters. The images of them all felt as intangible as air, though, from these stories, these legends, they were obviously real.

No. Minnow would never know the terror or understand just what kind of monstrosity Kaibutsu was. His eyes widened nonetheless. A monster made by humans that killed dogs? But didn't humans like dogs? Minnow was getting confused, but all that was written on his face was worry. His mind also wandered back to his own mother who had her pups without their father. The humans had taken care of her, though, so she wasn't alone, but Minnow would always remember how sad she looked when she spoke of him.

"Wow," was all he could say. He was clearly awe-struck, and he felt his breathy "wow" was rather lame after it escaped his mouth. "So, you must know him well if you found him as a pup?" There wasn't a strong note of conviction as Minnow spoke, but he could tell by the way GB seemed to puff up that he was proud.

Minnow was still thinking of his mother and his two siblings. He was sure both of them ran in the traces now, something Minnow had always longed to do. This life seemed better to him, though. The stories filled him with terror, but also with the will to be the best dog that he could be. These stories told of dogs doing great deeds, of destroying great evil for a noble cause; a paradise where any dog could live.

[GB]

"He's my godson! Of course I do!" GB might have been gone for some time but that didn't mean he didn't know Weed. He had been through so much with the young Akita. "Ah, you see, Sakura was ill and by the time that we found her it was too late. Old man Smith blamed himself because of the accident that caused him to lose his leg." He shifted a little uncomfortably at that. The accident was because of GB, after all, and the guilt would always be there. Then again, would they have made it back to Ohu in time to stop everything if events hadn't played out as they did? It was so hard to say.

He gave himself another shake. "We took Weed back to these lands, back to Ohu. On the way, we rescued a young pup named Mel from a gang of dogs. When we arrived in Ohu, though, things were terrible. The monster was on a rampage, the dogs of Ohu believed that Gin had abandoned them and the humans thought that the dogs were responsible for the deaths that Kaibutsu caused. It was a mess." It was not something you easily forgot. The bodies of dogs everywhere, the way that the soldiers reacted to anyone speaking about Gin, the humans hunting the dogs down. It was a hard time in Ohu's history.

"Along the way they picked up the brave soldiers, Ken and Kagetora; sons of previous dogs of Ohu. Then Jerome. He and his team were sent to hunt the monster down!" It had been hard to believe that they had been hunting the monster dog for so long and that their inevitable clash would take place within Ohu's territory. Yet it had happened and it had been terrible. GB let his head dip slightly at he thought of the loss; he had barely known any of Jerome's unit but old man Smith had been someone close and had been a legend.

"We tracked the monster to Gajou, the old stronghold of Akakabuto. The lives of each of Jerome's subordinates and Smith were all taken. The bravery of Kagetora, Ken, Jerome and Weed was what was needed to take him down, though. They fell from the cliff into the river far below; all except Kaibutsu, who had fallen onto a broken branch from an old log." It was a sad tale. So much death. Then again, so was the story of Gin. So many dogs died to keep Ohu safe from what invaded it time and time again. Even sadder was the fact that Kaibutsu should have been a normal dog somewhere.

Humans had changed him, though, and humans had been unable to control what they had changed. GB did not hate humans in the least but he wished that they had sense enough to not meddle in anything.

[Minnow]

Embarrassment made Minnow's ears hot. "Oh," was all he managed to say. But he listened intently as GB told him more about Weed, and his mother. Then, GB shifted and it didn't seem he was trying to get comfortable. Minnow wondered why, just as he had wondered why his mother was so sad when she spoke of his father. Minnow kept his mouth shut, though. He didn't feel like it was his place to ask.

Minnow wondered why the dogs had felt so abandoned, but then, if some monster was rampaging around killing humans and humans killing dogs, he wondered how he would react. Would he so easily believe that Gin had abandoned them? He didn't know. He didn't understand the way the world worked, and living with people only made him more puppyish. A dog could feign kindness right now and Minnow would believe it. He had no reason not to.

Minnow's blue eyes grew fat with shock. Dogs sent to hunt down a monster no one else had been able to kill? It seemed frightening. He wondered what the monster looked like, but his imagination couldn't seem to find a fitting look for it.

"They fell off a cliff?!" Minnow blinked. "Wow..." he stared wide-eyed for several heartbeats before he lowered his ears slightly. Obviously Weed had lived, and obviously Kaibutsu had been skewered by a log, but what of the others? Ken, Kagetora, and Jerome? "Did they all make it?" He asked hesitantly, as if asking the question might alter history in some way.

Minnow was having a culture shock of sorts. He was also slamming into reality harder than he ever would have had he remained with his human masters. There's so much death, he thought sadly. So much death...