Red
moons and white whiskers
By Stephanie J. "Bandit" Laidler
Prologue
The storm raged on though the rain was cold the humid air still hung around the dark and what seemed deserted city. Though it was deserted, the splashing sound of feet running through puddles made from the rains non-stop down pour. Three children run through the dark unsafe streets, the smallest between the three tripped and fell the two stopped and ran back to pick up their fallen sibling but she refused to move and started.
"Why are we running? I want to go home…" said the tender voice of the fallen sibling, she then lifted her mud drenched paw like hands to her eyes as she started crying, "I want to see mother!"
The other two sat next to her one lifting a paw to her shoulder to comfort her
"We can't go home sister but don't worry me and Huo will protect you!? We won't let anything harm you, don't cry" the girl looked up at her brother with his ice blue eyes, her dog-ears perking as she stared sniffling.
She looked at her brother, his white fur looked dull in the rain red stripes on either side of his cheeks pointing up to his eyes, one ice blue like hers the other a blood red, his light purple coloured hair fell slightly over his eyes soaked, but his smile was warming and her tears soon stopped.
"Yeah don't cry Yumé, me and Tai will take care of you," the second older brother said to also comfort her, she sighed lowering her head, then nodded and got up with her brothers. Then a shadow of figures fell over them, they quickly turned to face their stalker and saw two tall figures hover over them.
Tai and Huo stood in front of their sister snarling and barking at what seemed like a threat to them, the two figures just chuckled and snickered one grabbed Tai by the scruff of his neck lifting him up to look at him.
"It's amazing what you can find on these streets" the deep voice mumbled to his associate who merely replied with a nod staring at Yumé. Tai snarled and tried to claw at the man who held him yelp as he jerked his arm to make Tai shut up. Huo snarled and bit at the guys leg making him drop Tai who fell on his feet and retreated back to protect Yumé snarling at the guy eyeing her.
"What shall we do with the little runts?" asked the taller one which grabbed Huo from his leg and dropped him back down to back off and stand along side his brother.
"We'll show 'em to the boss…maybe he could get some use out of 'em" the other replied, he reached down to grab Yumé, the brothers quickly attacked biting and clawing at his arm but then feel a sharp pain to the head and their vision blacks out hearing screaming.
Tai cringes then opens his eyes, his vision still slightly blurry, he blinks a few times and sits up moving a paw to his head feeling sore all over. Tai looks to his side to see a body laying beside him, rubbing his eyes he sees it to be Huo still unconscious he quickly looks about remembering what happened earlier to find himself on a cage in a dark room only lit by the light from the crescent moon by the window beside the cage. Tai hastily turns to his brother nudging him awake.
Sudden two men, the same that Tai saw on the street, come in and pick up the cage leading it through what seemed an underground dwelling. Tai and Huo kept back to back staring at the two growling and snarling sometimes snapping their teeth. Then two huge doorways are opened and they are lead into a hall many others are sat there on a table a few notice and stare at the two making them look around nervously.
The cage is placed down in front of a man sat down a woman whispering in his ear as he stares at the cage blankly, the room went quieter making Huo and Tai more nervous as people started to notice them more. The woman steps down as the man gets up his eyes a dark fiery brown his hair cut short he looked slightly youthful it could be told from his stare he was older.
He walks up to the cage bending down to stare at the two now quiet and moving away from his strangely scary gaze, Tai closed his eyes and just wished this was a nightmare and he would wake up back with Huo and Yumé beside him, the man snickered noticing this.
"And why have you brought me these mutts?" he asked with a sharp voice to the two who carried the cage.
"Well seeing as we stumbled into these pups on the street we thought they'd be a good gift, imagine what strong body guards they could be if trained properly, or they could even be pets" explained one sounding rather convincing, the man stood up straight again and stared.
"I heard there was a third pup as well…bring it out" he commanded, one of the two stared shocked and then glared at the woman who just smiled, he growls walking out of the room. The man bent down again staring at the two who still whimpered from his gaze.
Shortly the other man returned dragging Yumé by the scruff of her neck, the two brothers perked hearing her yelps and turned to see her holding out their arms to her.
"Let her go" the man commanded again the one holding her by the neck frowned but did what he was told and she ran over to the cage to be held by the brothers and they kept close together not letting go. The man snickered and then opened the cage making the brothers turn up to stare at him cautiously as they quickly jumped out and moved over to their sister. The man moved the cage aside with one hand and once again bent down reaching out a hand to them, both Tai and Huo snarled at it and was ready to attack, but Yumé walked between them toward the hand sniffing at it keeping her eyes on him at all times, the two brothers frowned at this but stayed.
Yumé blinked at the hand and moved closer reaching out her hand to tap his slightly and she then smiled at him moving her head under the hand so it was petting her.
"Yumé!" snarled Tai, but he was soon standing by himself as Huo walked up to the man curious, though he started to feel vulnerable and alone he refused to approached the man, it was like an inner voice, or even instinct that he wouldn't approach a human.
"You'll learn to like me" the man says, Tai glares at him.