PREFACE


“A world of darkness I have entered….”


CHAPTER ONE



The sun was overhead in the bright blue sky and the birds were singing melodically.
Arashikumo sat on the grass beside his mate; Heather, watching his puppies playing in the field. Trace; Arashi’s father, lay beside them, his head resting in his dark brown paws.
“Look at them, guys. They look just like you two.” Heather sighed, nuzzling Arashi softly. He laughed kindly.
“Yeah, I guess they do, don’t they?”


The four puppies romped around the field, barking happily. 3 males and 1 female. The female; which was an exact image of her father and the oldest, was named Mirah. Two of the males looked like Arashi as well; Nine and Will. The other was more like his grandfather, Trace, with the stripes. His name was Bray.
“Hey, Bray….” Nine said, creeping up behind his youngest sibling. “…Tag! You’re it! Count to ten and we’ll hide!”


Arashi smiled to himself.
“I ought to be going. David will be waiting for me.” He licked Heather on the cheek and nodded to his father before he took off.


“…..nine, ten! Ready or not!” Bray giggled, opening his bright blue eyes. First, he checked behind the big tree. Nothing. Then, he looked inside the rotting log. Again, nothing. A scent tingled at his nose. Behind the bush to the right. He crouched low to the ground and crept closer.
“Ha!” He cried, leaping into the bush.
What came next happened so fast, that nobody saw the whole thing. All Bray heard was a hiss. All he smelt was leaves. All he tasted was his own saliva, and all he felt was pain. Fierce, excruciating pain. It came from his eyes. If he could have reached them, he would have gouged them out.
“Bray?! Bray, are you alright?!” He heard his mother scream. The puppy opened his stinging eyes and cried out.
“Momma?! Momma, I can’t see! I can’t see! Where are you?!” He shrieked.
“Oh my god, Trace, get Arashi, quick!” Heather yelled, nuzzling her pain-ridden son. Bray could only feel fire now. Flames licking at his face with acid tongue.


Arashi barked playfully as David threw a tennis ball for him.
“Go fetch, boy!” He laughed gleefully. Arashi raced after it speedily. Just as he was about to take it back, Trace burst through the trees.
“Hey, Trace. What’s up?” Arashi asked smoothly. Trace was gasping for air. It was hard for him to run so fast at his old age of fourteen.
“Field...!...Bushes…!...Snake…!...Bray…!...Venom…!...Come…!...Now!” He panted in a panicked tone. Arashi’s ears went flat against his head.
“Storm? What’s wrong, boy?” David called, seeing his dog’s expression. Arashi whined to his master. A pleading sound which he barley used.
“Uh, sure, go ahead. I’ll check ya later.” David answered. Arashi bolted back towards the field. Trace rolled his eyes and groaned before following his son.



“Heather, what happened?!” Arashi cried as he entered the field. The first thing he saw was Bray, writhing in pain.
“A snake spat venom in his face.” His mate explained.
“Bray, can you hear me?” Arashi breathed calmly.
“Yes….” His squirming son answered through clenched teeth.
“Listen, the venom is passing through your system. The pain should stop very soon. Can you cope until then?”
“Yes…”


The minutes passed, and soon, Bray slumped onto his stomach, eyes shut tightly and shivering.
“Alright, now, can you open your eyes for me?” Arashi asked.
“But the pain will start again.” The puppy moaned.
“I promise you that it won’t.” Bray pulled in a deep breath and opened his eyes. Everybody gasped.
Bray’s eyes; once a brilliant crystal blue, were now black. Even the whites. The only colour was where the pupil was supposed to be. A deep gold.
“Daddy, I can’t see anything. It’s all black…!” Bray whimpered. Arashi released a short sigh.
“Bray, I don’t know how to tell you this…..But you’ve gone blind…” He whispered. There was a silence.
“You mean, I’ll never see again, right?”
“Yes.” Bray sighed shakily, his face was grim, and kind of eerie looking with the eyes to back it up. Heather nuzzled her child and whimpered softly.
“It’s gonna be alright, Bray, darling. It’s gonna be alright….



The days passed and Bray wouldn’t move. Trace carried him back to the den on his back.
The puppy was frightened by the noises that had no visual meaning to him anymore. The birds, the wind, the rain. Everything was foreign to him now.

“Bray, why don’t you come outside with your brothers and sister? They miss you.” Heather asked him hopefully.
“No thank you.” He sighed. Heather turned to walk out.
“Watch out for that hole you’re about to step in. Will was bored last night.” Bray piped up. Heather looked down and gasped. He was right. A small, yet deep hole was beneath her raised paw.
“How did you know that?” she asked.
“I heard him dig it last night. You walked back that direction and I knew you were about to step in it somehow.”
Heather walked back to her son and picked him up by the scruff of the neck.
“lease, just leave me here to wallow in self-pity.” He moaned as he kicked out with his small paws.
Heather dragged him outside into the bright sunlight. Bray flinched at the forgotten heat of the day and the feel of the dew on the grass.
“Bray!” his siblings called. Nine ran at him, readying to tackle. Somehow, Bray knew. The striped puppy stepped to the side as Nine flew past.
“How….?” Arashi exclaimed, dumbfounded. Heather shrugged.
“I bet it’s that he can hear and smell everybody. When he became blind, his other four senses would have became a hell of a lot stronger. Tell me, kid, what can you smell?”
Trace asked.
“I can smell…..The grass, trees, you guys, a bunch of birds, dirt, bugs, David…..”
“Check. David is over a kilometer away. Okay, what can you hear?”
“I can hear the birds, the wind, the leaves, the grass, my brothers tackling each other, and I can hear Uncle Dustin chasing a squirrel.” Trace listened and heard nothing.
“Check. Alright, what can you taste?”
“I can taste…..I can taste salt. Yeah, salt.” Arashi rolled his eyes.
“How on earth can you taste salt?”
“The wind carried it in from the ocean. Check. Finally, what can you feel?” Trace watched his grandson pause.
“Uncle Dustin is on his way here. With Aunty Skyler and Logan.” Around five minutes later, they arrived.
“And, check.” Trace shot a smug grin Arashi’s way.
“Hello Arashi, Trace, Heather. And you four.” Dustin greeted as he touched noses with his brother in law.
“Nice to see you three.” Arashi replied. Logan instantly trotted off to play with the pups.
“I heard the terrible news. How’s he coping?” Skyler asked sympathetically. Arashi shrugged.
“Well, he only just came outside after four days. I guess he’s going well, but he’s still freaking me out a little.” He admitted, watching his son running and dodging with the others as if he could see.
“You’ll get used to it. He’s still the same person, only incapable of seeing.” Skyler sighed.
“Yeah. I know.” Arashi answered solemnly.




So? How'd you all like it?

Great? Good? Okay? Bad? Awfull? I want honest opinions please.

Any ideas or characters are very welcome!


And this is an INU BACHIATARI: ARASHIKUMO sneek peek....





Chapter Ichi
Poor Things


Trace nuzzled Koi affectionately. Five puppies suckled noisily at her teats, eager to receive their first taste of life.
“What shall their names be?” Trace asked his mate with curiosity. In the litter, there had been four females and a male. The females were all similar in colour; grey with white stomachs. The male, however, was completely different. His coat was a deep chocolate colour with reddish mud markings. The females took after their mother, Koi, but the male had no resemblance whatsoever.
“Well, the females are named Skyler, Lacey, Kiki and Ebony. I’m not sure about the male though…”
Trace watched the little puppy rolling around helplessly. Its paws flailing and tail between it’s legs.
“What about ArashiKumo? He’s sure to grow up as strong as a storm and as handsome as a cloud.”
Koi nodded in agreement.
“I like that. My little Storm Cloud. My ArashiKumo….”


Across the valley, in a large, jagged Canyon, the air was chill and the weather was dark. Wild dogs were everywhere, either sleeping, or fighting for food. Some were skinny and bony, and others were bulky and muscular. In a cave in the side of the canyon, a meeting was taking place…

Two dogs, a Doberman and a Rottweiler, sat obediently in the dark, awaiting something.
“Suritto. Osore. I have a mission for you.” A rasping voice said from the shadows. Osore, the Rottweiler, looked at Suritto and smiled.
“Wipe that grin off your face!” He said menacingly. Osore quickly looked away.
“I want you and some others to go to Aoi Sora Valley and kill off some threats for me.” The voice continued. The two dogs leapt up.
“B..B..B..But sir, that’s where Trace lives! If we set paw on his land, he’ll kill us! Remember, he said that he’d show no mercy to those of us who trespass on his territory.” Suritto stuttered.
“Yeah, and we don’t wanna die!” Osore added.
“Oh shut-up you pathetic morons! I haven’t finished yet! I’ve heard that Trace is going away in eight weeks to see his friend Shippou in the mountains, leaving his children with that useless mutt, Koi. I want you to launch an attack on them after he has left, and kill everyone in that area. Do not leave a trace, understand, Captains?”
The two dogs nodded and bowed.
“Of course, Takai, sir.”


The weeks passed and the puppies grew stronger. Each girl was as beautiful as her mother, and Arashi was as handsome as his father.
Every day they wandered further and further from home, exploring their surroundings. Soon, the day came when Trace had to leave to see his friend.

“Now, you all be good for your mother, and don’t stray too far.” Trace said to his young. Koi nuzzled his chest.
“Hurry back.” She sighed. Trace began to walk off, and then looked back.
“Look after yourself.” He said before he left. Kiki looked up to her mother and giggled.
“Mom, can we go to the field? Pleeeaaaassseee!” she begged, staring up with her large brown eyes. The others copied. Koi smiled softly.
“Alright. Just stay close, and don’t go off into the woods.” She said as she stood up and lead them to the nearby field.
It was a beautiful sight. The lush green grass swayed in the light breeze and seemed to dance. The puppies raced out and began to play. Their cheerful yaps filled the air with joy. Little did they know that they were being watched….


Suritto, Osore, and their team, Fumou and Iwa, lay low in the grass, glaring at the puppies of their long-time enemy.
“Alright, when I give the word, rip em’ all to bits…” Suritto whispered. The puppies continued to play while Koi was lying under a tree, supervising.
“Ready boys….now!” he barked as they all rushed out onto the field. Teeth snapping, drool flying.


The puppies hardly knew what was happening. They only listened to one thing in their mind.
Run to mom.
Koi was up instantly. Her teeth bared. Suritto stopped inches away.
“Koi, what an UN-pleasant surprise.” He growled. The grey dog stood over her children, who cowered with fear. Arashi stared at the large Doberman. Something about him made him shiver.
“Back off, Suritto! You were exiled by Trace!” Koi hissed, making sure Arashi stayed put. Osore began to growl and move forward, but Suritto stopped him.
“I’ll give you one chance, Koi. Surrender the little rats, and we’ll let you live, or you can die along side them? Either way they’ll die, so wouldn’t it be easier to just give them up?” the dog asked, giving her an option.
“I’d rather die trying to save them, you stinking bag of fleas!” She spat. Suritto snarled gruesomely and lowered his head.
“Suit yourself. Get em’ boys.” He said. Osore tackled Koi to the ground and Fumou raced over to where the puppies were.
Arashi leapt up and nudged his sisters.
“Run! Get outta here!” Kiki tried to run, but her legs tangled and she tripped.
“Kiki!” Ebony screamed out as she kept running. Her sister got to her feet and began to run again, but Fumou caught up. His teeth clamped around her waste and started to crush her.
“Kiki!” Ebony yelled again, but it was too late. The grey puppy went limp in the large Greyhound’s jaws. Arashi and his sisters watched in horror as Fumou dropped Kiki to the ground and smiled.
“Arashi!” a terrified voice called. He turned around and gasped. Iwa was standing behind them. Fangs bared. Lacey and Ebony bolted right, yelping loudly. The brown Irish Setter raced after them, drool flying from his tongue.
“Help!” Lacey screamed as she was knocked over. She was soon up in Iwa’s jaws and crying for mercy.
“lease, please, don’t kill me!” she cried. Iwa snarled and flung her across the field. There was a sickening crack as she slammed head-first into a tree trunk. Arashi whimpered, but guided Skyler to a nearby bush, not even looking back for Ebony. Seconds later, he heard two familiar barks. He poked his head from the bush and spotted someone who gave him a feeling of relief. Seth. His father’s half-brother. And Kujo, his mate.


Suritto’s hackles rose like rusted razor blades, and he was growling from his throat.
“I should’ve known that you would choose that pathetic dog, Trace over me. He has it all, power, strength, speed, and what do I have? Fleas, ticks and scars. Well, how do you think he’d feel if he lost his mate AND his puppies?” he said, circling Koi. The grey dog snapped at him viciously.
“You stay away from them! What threat are they to you?” Suritto grinned slyly as he continued to circle her.
“My dear, dear Koi. They are the children of my worst enemy, and you think they are no threat? If they live to adult-hood, they will learn to fight. They will learn that Takai is their sworn enemy. And they will learn to kill us. And you say that they are no threat? How pathetically stupid you are.” He chuckled. Koi heard the commotion going on behind her, and foolishly, looked back to investigate. Taking the chance, Suritto leapt at her, knocking the dog flying. Koi landed underneath Suritto’s weight and struggled to release herself.
“I wonder what Trace would do if I killed you? Hunt me down I suppose. But if I take you hostage, and then capture him, I could kill you in front of his very eyes? How does that sound?” He whispered. Koi let a throaty growl escape her mouth as she glared up at Suritto’s golden eyes.
“Just kill me.” She whispered. Suritto nodded and bit her throat, cutting of her air supply.


Meanwhile, Seth and Kujo were ripping into the others. Iwa had been brutally mauled by Seth, who had torn off his ear. Kujo was having a little difficulty with Fumou, who was at least twice the size of her. Osore was trying to fight off Seth also.
“Get out of here you pathetic low-life!” Kujo hissed as she lunged into Fumou’s side. The greyhound flew sideways and landed in a heap. Iwa had already retreated back to the bushes, and Fumou followed as soon as he got to his paws. Osore got straight into Kujo when they left, and Seth went off to attack Suritto.

Arashi and Skyler laid silently in the bush, shivering with fear. Neither one could bare to look up and face the fight. Face the fact that their sisters were dead. Face the fact that their mother was being murdered.


Suritto’s fangs clung to Koi’s throat as he killed her. He could feel the air running out. She’d soon be dead. Suddenly, before Suritto could even blink, he was on the ground, at least five feet from his victim. Seth was on top of him, teeth bared, ready to snap.
“Ah, Seth. How nice to see you again. And by the look of things, you’ve had another one of your famous growth spurts?” He asked casually, hiding his fear of the older and stronger dog. Seth’s massive blue paws pushed against Suritto’s chest.
“If I wasn’t part of Trace’s pack, I’d tear you limb from limb. But, as I have made a pact that I wouldn’t kill anyone, I will just hurt you instead.” Seth hissed as he made a grab for Suritto’s ear. The Doberman rolled out of the way quickly and got to his paws. Seth sprung at him again and lashed out with a paw. The sharp claws dug into the dog’s throat and Suritto shied away, head low. Seth stopped and waited for the dog to make another move, but Suritto didn’t budge.
“Fight me!” He barked, stepping closer to his heavily breathing opponent. Suritto spun his head around to face him, and Seth gasped. His claws had left four deep magenta red scars, oozing with blood, on the higher section of his throat. Seth felt ashamed, even if Suritto was his enemy. The wound wasn’t meant to be that deep.
“I don’t need to endanger my life any further,” he said as he turned to look at the almost still Koi. “My work here is done. Osore! Heel!” he commanded, lowering his head again to walk away. The massive Rottweiler followed him cautiously, turning to growl at the dogs. Kujo came bounding up to Seth with angry eyes.
“What are you doing?! Let’s get after them!” she growled. Seth shook his head slowly.
“No. Even if we did kill them. The damage has been done. See to Koi, and I’ll try to find the surviving pups. If there is any…” he muttered as he slid away, sniffing at the ground.
He first came to Lacey, skull shattered from the sudden impact of the hurl. Seth lifted her up gently in his mouth and placed her down near Koi, who he knew had little chance of surviving. Next, he collected Kiki, who had deep fang punctures in her stomach. He assumed Ebony to be dead as he couldn’t find any trace or scent.
It pained Seth to see his nieces mutilated corpses, but he still had hope for Arashi and Skyler. Not much, but a spark. Again, he pressed his nose to the ground and began to track for one of their scents. He soon picked up Skyler’s and followed it to the bush.
“Skyler….?” He stuttered, fearing that he’d find her body and no head. He poked his face into the shrub and gasped. Skyler and Arashi were huddled together, shivering with intense fear. The sight of Seth’s face, even if it was so enormous and toothed, gave them a small feeling of relief.
“Oh my lord, you’re alright.” He sighed, nuzzling them both.
“Kujo?! Kujo, I’ve found two of them!” he called out. Kujo came racing over, tears in her almond eyes.
“Thank heavens! I thought you were goners!” she sobbed, licking Arashi’s face clean of his own tears. She picked him up in her teeth and carried him back to where his mother lay. Seth did the same with Skyler. Both pups ran straight to their mother the second they were set down.
“Mommy!” they cried in unison, trying to get her to talk. To reassure them that she’d be fine. The grey dog didn’t move, and her chest didn’t slowly go up and down.
“Mom?” Skyler asked again, nudging the soft body. Kujo glanced at her mate, and then down to the pups.
“What are we going to do with them, Seth? Kaze won’t take them in. He doesn’t have time to look after them, and neither do we.” She explained sadly, watching the poor children mourning their mother.
“Well, what other options do we have? There’s Laurel, Remy, Viv, Ofelia…” he thought out loud. Kujo’s ears perked up.
“What about Haruu and Giof? Not only would they be great guardians, but they would be able to teach them what they need to learn. If you want, I could take them to the old ruins where they live?” she asked, standing up. Seth wondered for a moment before answering.
“Actually, that isn’t such a bad idea. Alright then, we’ll take them there in a little while. I need to find Falcon to look after the body.”


Before long, they were trudging along the dusty path to the ruins. The sky was overcast and the puppies were understandingly silent, sitting on Seth’s broad back as he walked slowly.
“We’re almost there.” Kujo said softly, kicking a stone with her brown paws. Moments after she said that, large, moldy stones appeared over the horizon. Vines, flowers, even small trees grew out of it, giving the destination an eerie feel.
“Kids, this is where your father and I grew up.” Seth explained as he set the pups down. Their faces were streaked with tears and their fur was matted.
“Come on, let’s find Haruu and Giof.” Kujo said, walking through the large archway. Inside, a tall young collie jumped down from a ledge and growled. She had a dusty pink coat and a rust-coloured mask.
“Who are….Seth?” she trailed off when she spotted the large blue Husky.
“Abelle? I haven’t seen you since you were a puppy! How are you?” he asked curiously, nuzzling her affectionately.
“I’m fine, but you look mournful, and so do your friends here. What has happened to make you upset?” The dog named Abelle asked. Seth sighed loudly.
“I bring terrible news from the inner valley. Trace’s mate and three of his daughters have been assassinated by Takai’s henchman. I seek shelter for his two surviving pups, Arashikumo and Skyler.” He explained, motioning to the children. Abelle’s face turned horrified immediately.
“That’s horrible! You poor, poor darlings!” she nuzzled Arashi and Skyler sympathetically.
“If you want us to look after them, you’ll have to ask Haruu and Giof. Follow me, and I’ll take you to them.” She continued. Seth, Kujo, Arashi and Skyler followed the pretty young collie through another arch way and into an enclosed area. Two large dogs sat on separate pedestals. One, a Great Dane, one a Golden Retriever.
“Seth. Kujo. What brings you to Ririshii Shin Kyouyou Secchi?” The Great Dane asked in a booming voice. That of a leader. Seth stepped forward and bowed.
“Giof, I bring news of a great tragedy. Koi, Trace’s mate, and three of her puppies have been brutally murdered.”
Both dogs gasped and their eyes widened with horror.
“What? Who would do such a thing?” Giof barked, standing up.
“It was Takai’s captains, Suritto, Osore, Fumou and Iwa.” Kujo replied, stepping forward to join her mate.
“Those no-good rats…” Haruu hissed, leaping down from his pedestal. Seth stepped aside to reveal the two puppies, who were standing motionless behind him.
“I would like to introduce to you Skyler and Arashikumo, the two surviving children of Kaze.” He announced solemnly. Haruu strode across the floor and halted in front of Arashi.
“This one looks strong. Why do you bring them here?” he asked.
“We bring them here because they need a place to live. Trace won’t be able to care for them, and neither can we. Seth and I thought it would be best for them to stay here. Haruu, you could train Arashi to become a great warrior, and Abelle can teach Skyler how to hunt. Please, Giof, allow them to stay.” Kujo requested. Giof nodded his large cream head.
“Any child of Trace is a child of mine, Kujo. They can stay. Abelle, take them to where the other puppies are boarded. Seth, I would like to have a word with you and your mate…”
Abelle nudged Arashi in the backside and walked ahead. The little brown pup followed, with Skyler along side him.
“I understand how you both must feel. I lost my mother around your age. Hopefully you’ll both feel right at home here. We’ll give you a few days to get some rest, and then the teaching will begin.” Skyler looked up slightly.
“What teaching?” she asked in a voice so soft that Abelle could barley hear her.
“Here at Ririshii Shin Kyouyou Secchi, we teach young dogs how to look after themselves. For the males, Haruu teaches them how to fight, the females are taught how to hunt by myself, and they all learn about our surroundings. History and important landmarks, stuff like that.” She explained. Arashi lagged behind, head down and paws dragging.
“Here we are.” Abelle announced as she motioned to a large hole in the wall. “Go inside. I’ll be right behind you.” Skyler went first, and Arashi second. Inside was a large room full of many young puppies. All around their age. Most of them stopped and stared at the two new comers when they entered.
“Children, this is Arashikumo and his sister, Skyler. They’ll be staying with us from now on. I’m sure they would appreciate it if you didn’t smother them for a few days, because their coming here was due to a terrible tragedy that happened not to long ago. Alright you two, I’ll be back later to see how you’re both settling in.” Everybody listened when Abelle spoke.
“Yes Abelle.” They all answered before she left. After that, they all went back to playing. All except a small Labrador, who walked up to them slowly.
“Hi, I’m Dustin.” He greeted kindly.
“Hi.” Arashi mumbled.
“Um, aren’t you the kids of the great, Trace?” he asked curiously, wagging his tail. Skyler looked to Arashi, then back to Dustin.
“Err, yeah. Why does everybody know him?” she replied. Dustin’s jaw dropped.
“You’re kidding? You don’t know why your own father is so famous?” Skyler and Arashi shook their heads.
“Wow. Well, your father, the great Trace, is famous because he saved Aoi Sora Valley! Ages ago, about…I don’t know, six years, a mutant wolf took over the valley. They named it, Akumaurufu. It was at least three times its normal size and its strength was amazing! It killed several dogs and then drove the rest out, claiming the valley as its territory. Every dog who attempted to return was killed. All except for your dad. He fought Akumaurufu for a whole day and night, wearing it down until they were both exhausted. Finally, Trace drew it near a cliff and drove it off. It was a fifty foot drop, so Akumaurufu wouldn’t have survived.” Dustin said enthusiastically, bouncing around joyously.
Arashi shook his head in disbelief.
“Wow. I never knew that dad was so brave.”
“Or so strong.” Skyler added.
“Well, he is. I guess I better let you get some rest.” He said as he walked off.
“Seeya later.” Skyler lay down on a small platform by the entrance.
“He’s right. We should get some rest.” She motioned to the space by her side. Arashi sighed and sat down beside her.
“Yeah, I know.” He whispered as he drifted off….




WEll? Is it okay?


OXmaddyXO