Chapter 1

Just the start of Chapter 1. Not sure, might call this one Dane, but then again, I never know when I should stop a chapter. Is it too short or long? Was there enough detail or too much?

Chapter 1

Abandoned on the cusp of his eighteenth birthday, Kiba, a magnificent snow-white dire wolf with piercing icy blue eyes, found himself laying in a desolate patch of grass on the outskirts of the forest that enveloped the city of Keema. The frigid winter winds gnawed at his fur, causing him to shiver uncontrollably. As he stared up at the bleak winter sky, his world seemed to fade away with each snowflake that gently landed on his dirt-stained fur, a symbolic farewell to a life he thought he knew.

Suddenly, a faint noise pierced the silence of the desolate landscape, growing louder with each passing moment. Kiba's ears perked up, his senses sharpening as he fought to maintain consciousness. A surge of determination fueled his weakened body, urging him to rise and seek refuge from the approaching threat. However, the overwhelming fatigue took hold, rendering him defenseless and immobile.

"He's barely alive, Tek! We must save him!" A voice, brimming with compassion and urgency, shattered the tranquility of the wintry landscape. It resonated within Kiba's fading consciousness, offering comfort and reassurance that he was not alone in his plight.

"Marla, you know we can't. The boy ain't normal. Why else would his parents..." Tek's voice trailed off as Marla cut him short, her eyes blazing with unwavering determination.

"Don't you dare finish that sentence. We are taking him with us, and that's final!" Marla's voice echoed with unwavering resolve as she gently scooped Kiba onto her strong, black-furred back. She cradled him protectively from the harsh elements as she embarked on a journey towards their secluded home deep within the woods.

Reluctantly, Tek lowered his head in defeat, acknowledging the futility of arguing with his stubborn sister. He cast a fleeting glance around their surroundings, a sense of foreboding creeping over him. Fearing they may have inadvertently drawn unwanted attention, Tek signaled Marla to alter their route, as he melted into the shadows and stealthily followed her from a safe distance. As he trailed behind, a strange scent filled his nostrils, piquing his curiosity and raising his hackles simultaneously.

"MARLA, RUN!" Tek's urgent warning sliced through the air, but it was immediately swallowed up by a thunderous explosion. The sound reverberated in Tek's ears, his own anguished howls and snarls blending with the symphony of pain that engulfed him.

As the pursuing group closed in, Tek caught a glimpse of an emblem on one of the collars. Marla's voice rang through the chaos, "It's J.A.G., we have to escape!"

"Avalon?," Tek responded instinctively, anticipating Marla's answer. Tek reached into the pocket of his long, dark brown leather duster and retrieved a small black and purple swirling orb. Slamming the orb onto the ground, it unleashed a blinding flash of light that caused their assailants to howl in pain.

Taking advantage of the J.A.G. team's disorientation, Marla grabbed Tek and dashed off into the depths of the forest. Marla flicked her wrist and glanced down at the device on her wrist, scanning the area for the best possible escape route. "There! Just ahead, take a right and head down into the valley. We can lose them in the grove," Marla panted, taking the lead with the dire wolf pup on her back. Pushing any thoughts of fatigue aside, she focused solely on the one goal that mattered: getting the three of them to safety.

"Hey, I think we're gonna make it�"" Tek's triumphant declaration was cut short by the ear-splitting shriek of an incoming rocket-propelled grenade (RPG). Marla's head snapped around just in time to see the deadly projectile hurtling towards them, her eyes widening in horror.

Tek, sensing the impending doom, knew there was no time to escape. With a selfless act of bravery, he reached into his belt and snatched a grenade, his grip tightening around the explosive device. As the RPG slammed into the ground, sending a shockwave that tossed Marla and the dire wolf pup over the edge of the cliff, Tek triggered the grenade in his hand.

The explosion erupted in a blinding flash, engulfing Tek in its fury. Marla, tumbling through the air, watched in disbelief as her brother's lifeless body was flung over the edge, the force of the blast sending him hurtling towards the same perilous fate.

As Marla crashed into the dense thicket lining the grove below, her world spun around her, her vision blurring, and her consciousness fading. With her last breaths, she whispered, "This can't be how it ends..."

As her vision dimmed, a large white figure emerged from the shadows, its imposing form casting an eerie glow over the fallen Marla and Tek. The air around the figure radiated warmth and serenity, a stark contrast to the chaos that had just unfolded.

Marla, clinging to the remnants of her consciousness, managed to utter a hoarse question, "Wh-who are..you?"

A deep, resonant growl rumbled from the figure, "My name is Kiba."

Kiba, the mysterious white dire wolf, stood tall and menacing, his massive tail curling protectively around Tek and Marla. With a deafening howl that shook the very foundations of the forest, Kiba unleashed a blinding bluish-white light that enveloped his form, causing him to grow in size and power.

The J.A.G. team, witnessing this transformation from their vantage point atop the valley, froze in their tracks, a sense of primal fear gripping their hearts. Some even retreated, their bravado replaced by a deep-seated instinct for survival.

"Retreat! The target has awakened!" bellowed the largest member of the J.A.G. team, his voice trembling with fear.

Kiba, now a towering behemoth, snarled and snapped at the air, his fury directed towards the source of their attack. Marla, her vision slowly returning, watched in awe as Kiba's form continued to grow, his massive tail scooping her and Tek up and carrying them away into the depths of the canopied grove.

One of the J.A.G. members, emboldened by a surge of misplaced courage, charged towards Kiba, drawing his sidearm and firing until his clip was empty. The bullets, however, were no match for Kiba's newfound power.

As the first shot rang out, Kiba's blinding light abruptly faded, plunging the forest into darkness. One by one, the J.A.G. members began to fall, their lifeless bodies crumpling to the ground, victims of an unseen force.

The remaining members of the J.A.G. team, their bravado shattered, turned and fled, vanishing into the night, their pursuit of Kiba replaced by a desperate instinct for self-preservation.

"Wh-what is that thing?!," Shouts one of the three remaining JAGs as they stagger backwards, tripping over a large rock buried in the ground. The member tumbles down the sloped cliffside to the edge of the grove. Looking up at the cliff, the JAG member stares in horror as he witnesses the remaining two members of his group be slaughtered by what could only be described as a living, moving shadow.

Suddenly, the shadowy creature descends the slope and closes in on the last member alive. Now looming over the horror-struck jackal, a large black dire wolf emerges from the shadow. With a low growl, the wolf mumbles, "You shouldn't have done that," and with a quick strike, he sinks his fangs into the jackal's neck with a loud crunch. Dropping the body to the ground, the wolf melts into the shadows on the ground beneath him, but not before glancing at the grey she-wolf with a thankful nod.

The shadows on the ground begin to move like they have a life of their own and find their way to the wounded Kiba, as if his own shadow were absorbing it.

"Who was-- TEK!," Marla cries out, suddenly realizing the events that had unfolded until just now, were over. She rushes to the grey wolf laying lifeless on the ground next to Kiba and begins to weep. As Kiba begins to stir, he looks over at Tek and Marla, not knowing who these two are, but sensing the grief and sorrow of the weeping she-wolf, he realizes the other one must be someone dear. Reaching out with his paw, he touches Tek's shoulder, and the grey wolf gasps as he jerks upright in a panic, shouting his sister's name.

"T-Tek? But how?," Marla, now filled with even more questions than answers, hugs her brother tightly as she sobs in relief. Kiba attempts to sit up but slumps to the ground, now completely exhausted. Marla turns her attention to the unconscious white wolf and reaches out to him. "We have to get him to the lab, Jaycee can help him, I hope."

Tek and Marla take either side of the unconscious Kiba and carry him off into the grove and down a series of wooded paths until they reach the side of a large stone wall. They both reach out with their free paws and place them on the stone at a distance apart. The area between them shimmers, and the stone wall disappears to reveal a dimly lit tunnel that dead ends.

"Where are we?," Kiba whispers, sensing the urgency of stealth from the ones carrying him to safety.

Tek and Marla nearly drop him as they are both startled by the sudden interruption of silence. "Geez kid, don't scare us to death," Tek scolds Kiba. Hoisting him back up and onto his back, he looks at Marla and whispers, "Make sure we weren't followed, you know the routine. Nothing has changed since we started this mission."

Marla nods and dashes off into the woods, her senses on high alert. Tek turns to Kiba and says, "Rest up, kid. We're going to be home soon." Kiba lifts his head to nod but collapses into Tek as he looses consciousness.

As Marla returns from scouting the area for any unwelcome followers, she heads back into the tunnel to join the others. She gives Tek and nod and within the blink of an eye the entrance was now blocked off by what looked like the same stone surrounding them. Tek carries Kiba to the back of the tunnel and leans him against the wall before walking to the other side to reveal another hidden panel that triggers the entrance to brightly lit room.

"Holy s**t that's bright!" Kiba complains as he covers his eyes with a disgruntled growl.

"You've no room to talk yourself, bud. That was quite some light show you put on in the forest with whatever you did with my brother," Marla says quizzically, unsure if she even believes what she saw. But she did, she saw it, as the shock sets back in from what she witnessed only hours earlier she stares at Kiba in horror before asking, "What was that thing that came out of you?"

Kiba looks at her funny before fully processing what she asked, suddenly he barks with laughter as he looks at Tek and then her. "Oh, Shadow? That's my big brother, what did he do, kill someone?," Kiba laughs as he walks past them, gazing around the room in awe as his eyes have finally adjusted to the light.

"Actually, slaughtered is more like it. He wiped out that entire JAG squad in seconds, and then, you.. you saved Tek. How did you bring him back to life?," Marla asks while checking her brother from head to toe for injures. Letting out a sigh of relief after she combs through the blood-stained patches on his fur, turns her attention back to Kiba.

Just then, a tall, curvy multicolored female husky walks into the room, her eyes scan the room before landing on Kiba. She briskly approaches him with a large white box marked for first aid and begins looking him over as she fires off a set of question at Marla, "Where was he shot? How many times? Where did this happen? There are no wounds, only blood."

"I was shot?! What? Where? Who di-," Kiba frantically starts patting himself down feeling for any soreness or holes in his body. "MY TAIL, did they hit my tail?!," Kiba continues to rant, grabbing his massive, fluffy white tail, combing it over with his claws as he finishes checking himself.

Jaycee begins to howl in laughter as she watches the frantic wolf check himself over and end with hugging his tail close with a sigh of relief. Teasingly she picks at him as she gathers up the supplies he knocked out of her paws while thrashing about his self-examination. "Get told yer shot and yer worried about a silly tail. What a funny one you are.. uh.. what's yer name?," She looks at him and pauses as she notices the flecks of silver in his eyes.

"Kiba, my brother's name is Shadow," Kiba starts to answer her questions but is cut off by a flurry of excitement.

"Brother? Where is he? Did he come with yaw?," The female husky's country accent becomes thicker as her curiosity gets the better of her.

"He's here, watching. He doesn't like crowds," Kiba chuckles as he looks at Jaycee and flashes a goofy smile. Blinking, one of his eyes turns a deep emerald with gold flecks before changing back.

"That's...so...COOL! Do it again!" Jaycee wriggles with excitement as she watches him with pure curiosity. Kiba just chuckles again and turns to Tek.

"How are you feeling?" Kiba looks at Tek before looking back around the room. "Ok, so if everyone is ok, can anyone tell me why I'm here? Where is here?" He starts to wander around the room and then stops in front of a screen that displays a picture of him. Skimming over the monitor, he reads what little information is there and turns to the group standing on the other side of the room.

"Welcome to Atlas," Jaycee says, "Now, time for introductions. I'm Jaycee, you already met Tek and Marla. Boss is waiting upstairs, he is eager to meet you and will want answers to the same questions we have. Come on, let's go." Jaycee motions for them to follow as she twirls around and heads to a flight of stairs, descending them with a graceful ease. Tek and Marla follow after Kiba as Jaycee leads them through a winding set of halls.

They reach a large, open room with a single desk. Reclined at the desk is an albino rhinoceros wearing a pair of high-tech looking glasses. His hooves swiping, pecking, and flicking at the air in different directions as he interacts with a hologram.

Kiba, genuinely concerned for the strange-acting rhino, asks, "Is he having a seizure?"

"BWAHAHA, that's a good one. I'll have to remember to use that," the rhino roars with laughter before removing his glasses and looking at Kiba. Getting up, he approaches Kiba and extends a hoof in greeting. With a firm squeeze, Kiba returns the handshake. "Name's Big John, but everyone calls me Boss. Welcome to Atlas, Kiba."

"What's Atlas?" Kiba asks the rhino, his curiosity piqued. Big John, anticipating the flood of questions, whips out a spare pair of high-tech glasses from his desk and hands them to Kiba. Putting his glasses on, Kiba's eyes widen in astonishment as the empty room transforms into a virtual reality hub, screens popping up everywhere he looks.

A news headline flashes across the bottom of one screen: 'Atlas: Resistance Or Hope For All Kind?' Big John places a reassuring hoof on Kiba's shoulder, guiding him towards a solitary screen tucked away in the corner. As Kiba approaches, images of himself and his family appear on the display.

"We've been waiting for someone special like you, Kiba," Big John's voice softens, a hint of regret lacing his words. With a swipe, he dismisses the virtual screen and removes the glasses from Kiba's snout, tucking them away with his own. Turning to the group, he claps his hooves together and lets out a heavy sigh. "We might have to delay our explanations. Another JAG squad has cornered Carrie and her team in an abandoned factory south of ___. They're out of ammo and trapped with no escape route. Kiba, will you and Shadow help us?"

Kiba realizes that their leader must have eyes and ears all over the compound they're in. He nods and turns to the others, his decision met with a chorus of excited yelps. The room buzzes with anticipation as they regain their composure.

"Let's get you equipped for the field!" Jaycee grabs Kiba's massive paw and drags him out of the room, their destination a large set of metal doors. Swiping her tail over a small box with a red light, the doors hiss open, revealing a medium-sized room lined with armored vests, tactical gear, and assault weapons of all varieties. "Pick yer poison and head back upstairs when you're ready," she says, waving her paw to indicate the arsenal at their disposal.

Kiba lunges forward, snatching a flashlight from the arsenal before dashing to catch up with Jaycee, who was already halfway down the hall. "Damn, she's fast," he muttered to himself.

Jaycee halted, turning to see Kiba almost caught up, clutching a single item in his paw. "You're gonna need more than that for this mission," she began to explain, but Marla cut her off, gently placing a paw on Jaycee's shoulder and shaking her head slowly.

"I think he'll be okay, Jay," Marla reassured, her eyes darting towards Kiba, still grappling with the events of earlier. Images of her lifeless brother flashed in her mind, despite his presence beside her. She trembled, her grip tightening on Jaycee's shoulder, causing the husky to yelp.

"Mind your claws, deary, that kinda hurts," Jaycee winced, carefully prying Marla's paw from her shoulder before taking it in her own, pulling her into a comforting embrace. "It'll be okay, Marla. You two need time to process and fill us in on what happened when the feed went down," Jaycee's voice softened into a soothing coo.

"You're going alone?" Tek inquired, his voice laced with worry and curiosity.

"I won't be alone," Kiba reminded them, his eyes flickering an emerald hue and back again.

Jaycee squealed in surprise at the sight, causing Kiba to chuckle. Tek handed Kiba a watch and earpiece, demonstrating their use. After a quick rundown of the mission briefing and the most suitable routes, Jaycee hurriedly approached Kiba and pricked him with a needle, extracting a blood sample amidst a yelp. Placing the sample on a small pedestal, a nearby screen flickered to life with a chirp. "There, you're in the system. You can access the tunnels and most of the rooms in this facility," Jaycee glanced over her shoulder and nodded, indicating that everything was clear on her end.

With that, Tek and Marla escorted Kiba to the entrance, offering last-minute pointers on their system and reminding him that they were available on communication devices but to use them sparingly. With wishes of safety and luck, Kiba sets off on his first mission.

Author's Note

Criticism and ideas welcome, be polite or your comments will be removed. If you enjoy my work and want to help support my goals, buy me a coffee or two buymeacoffee.com/kibbleskorner