A good pet sits when asked and give a paw. Eat a treat for my good behaving manners. No barking unless someone unvisted or knocks at the door.
I laze my hours on the family sofa and my alphas bed. I fetch the newspaper from the driveaway. Play nicely with my neighbours; cats, humans and other fellow dogs. Normal pets sense when things are wrong by the smells and tempartures of those they love.
I watch the not humans among us and take them as the signs of things to come. Them darker scale buring folks are bad news and the feathered ones are good helpers. Them werid shadowed things that never stand in light are those whom just died and are now roaming spirits or things there watching the others things.
My owner named me; Shadow.
My thick soft fur is common for what breed they call my type. I look like a wolf (the wild dogs). But I love my humans and would never turn on them. I wage my tail that normally flattens to my back feet.
They say my eyes are blue like crystal. But I can't see colour like humans can. My big paws have always tracked mud across shiny floors and wipped on fresh carpet. I have befriended the local creatures of my local walking grounds and back grass patch.
They think of me as a gentle dog dog, strong but never a hassle. The humans think I am normal… but as my good pal crow told me. I am not so normal as the others it seen. It's a bird from the same place the feather and scales folks seem to come from. My friend only comes to oversee the one's that pass over into spirits from the corpse. It guides them or lets them wonder off to new life.
I haven't spoken to my crow friend since… since my cat neighbour were rolled under that loud thoughtless metal thing. I will miss my friends but they are good souls. They do as they are told; surly that means good places to walk to.
"Shadow!" I were sleeping in the livingroom when awaken to this call, "What do you call this mess?" pointed at the mud. Oh? They don't like that or that smell? I am sorry, "What is that?" I didn't mean to, "No bed upstairs tonight." But but but….
I show surrender and they back off with knowing I understood I did bad. I continue to pout in where I am, out of the way. The someone new looking walked through here, it's one of them after-veil folks (its what the crow told me to call those not here but are 'here'). He looked around at everyone here stopping with looking at a watch.
I barked at them and they see I was meaning them.
"Shadow settle, I don't know how you can tell. But my grandmother is here." I whim with being shouted at again. Settling back down, watching that grim clouding grandma.
How dare they!?
But although they moved around to check on things, I can smell time was fading for grandma. Give her as much a greeting and love as much as possible. Soon I wouldn't be able to anymore; and I drag my favourtie humans to join in grandma loving. Take mirror flashy items off them if I have too.
"Shadow, that's my phone!" I better make sure not to break it and it be close by for when the time comes, "Uh, grandma?" my mission success. We never now how long we have until its to late to count back the year. I have been around since my favourtie humans were in the other favourite humans. Now they smell good when they come back from 'college'. Smell of good stuff and strange.
If they leave there bag out, I sneak out books and read them and leave it a half clean mess for them to put it all back in their bag. I know, dogs don't read human stuff. But I try.
"It's time to take you and the family; in 2 hours." That boned afterlife werido that hung around granny said what now? Are you talking to me?, "What's with the head tilt, you heard me. You all have 2 hours before I take you. I am letting you have a chance to save someone."
I got up instantly and barked about going outside, go the back door open and forced folks out there with me. The sudden few with granny (And of course granny) staying inside where I think this is going to happen. There still some few upstairs too… but.. in my ways of distracting the few favourties to say out here… my paws are tied with keeping them here.
There was a bang that pushed as of the backyard away… glass through everyone. What a terrible suffering ways of going? I am sorry to not saved everyone on time. But I have three key people out. The doors and blast go me, so I can't count. The spirits look bad with horror just as much the living do.
What a terrible way to go?
"Good job." Pet by the grim that helping me from body to soul, "Good girl. Not going to bark now?"
I thank them and walked around where the ex-humans are. Sniff with them and check on them. Some already go and confused.
"This way, everyone." the grim dragged a door into existence, "You don't want you hands tied by the local demons or puppet nightmares." Speaking of them, some walked through with their masks no longer there. Must have been waiting souls, "Hey dog, you too." I sit down with this earth I can't feel anymore, "waiting for someone?" I looked to my up most favourite – they are dying, "You be collected at the hospital when they go."
I nod and see that the door goes away.
I stayed with my human all the way up to them into the stretcher, into the van. On a white bed in a room. I protected them from nasty scale demons and watched them feathered folks for their funny ideas.
I watched the doc's and nurses; patch up my favourite. Restart their heart several times. There to lick their ghostly face awake from their body when they passed.
"I have to go now, shadow." They walked away through a door too and there wasn't a grim here. So here I am at this healing place as a spirit. Lonely until then next to die comes; I protected the children from evil one's the most.
"Good bye." My first words in learning to speak like a spirit, this was the only words I knew and the only ones I could say to those leaving me behind again.
I slowly grown my own face shield, the longer I stay here and do as I must. My fights with demons became ever more real. having to physically bite them and throat ripped out. But they aren't real here; so no mess and no corpses. The bad has slowly made me a stronger spirit; but never have I swayed in hurting humans or anything living.
I loss my dog shape over the years, become scaled and ever so true to what my soul is. But I still will never exist to this earth as nothing more then just a spirit wonderer.
"Thing, why do huant the childrens ward?" So finally I was caught by someone, "What are you?"
"Don't be mean to our protector." Yes, this grim came to take another child. Children have ben making the habit of watching me instead of leaving (no wonder it attracted attention), "They been here a long time and don't speak much if at all."
"They a good dog." I get love from them and they are another why I don't dare hurt such loving beings. I watched all the good work here and don't need me making things harder, "Hey, masky. Is this bone figure good?" I wage my tail with tongue out with a happy look, "Is it time to leave?" I stopped being goffy and hugged them all (my head lightly rested to their shoulder at at time with that whisper).
"Goodbye." Sorrow and gentle, "Goodbye." I nose the youngest and helped those over to the grim where help is needed, "goodbye."
"Bye bye wolfy." I did tear up a little with a whimper and sit with watching them walk through that door. I become distracted with the folks moving bodies out of here (living side becoming a hive of activity).
"You shouldn't stay here." The grim warned, "You becomed chained and lost."
I looked at my shape and back to this ferry man. I wiped off my face shield, it shatter like the chains that kept me here. I shook up to shape of a wolf dog, prance my way through the door. But then to sit on this new side. This grim walks through, though which the door is gone. I watched around as the children were finally free and laughing; going the ways towards brighter life. I peered with how this path goes on and changes colour; as if my sight of life was changed to see the sight of the dead. Taking a while to adjust to the new information of colour and intense smells.
"Good luck, wolf." Grim turned to smoke with how they left here. I scanned around long enough to be curious, edge my ways around the smells of burning or the chill softer contrast. Pranced my way down, seeing doors that held no colour and things that would creep anyone out.
Off I prance with this path; stopping to watch those walking past me or the moving bits around. The eyes in walls that blinked at me or the way patterns of stone changed like moving pictures. There is so much to see from being a traveller here.
"Wow, a mut. Rare to see things like you around here." Lowered to pet me but I smell death and their intent with that blade on their hip. Backed away and avoiding that thing, "Clever pouch, fine. If you don't hurt me, I will not hurt you." I sit down and looked around this section of darkness and clouded atmosphere (even harder to read the mood around here), "You a lost pouch?"
I study this demon fella, normally I be fighting them to no touch innocent folks. But there is anyone around here but me to bother. I could only seek to protect myself at this point of time. This dark demon has a stranger shadow that acting like a part of them. I backed away from that, sniffing and being inquisitive.
"You're hidden anything wolf?" I tapped my paw to the surface of this shadow and shook it off the cold feeling. But I do continue to be playful and ignoring the muttering this fool was making about my surrounding, "Hey, you want a little meat?" I sit up from playing tap the shadow and stare at this offering, "One of my collegues that can't do worth a damn." Waved it and tossed it to the shadow that ate it, "See, my servant eats it. You interested?" Tossed a piece and broken my form in eating it whole. Back to a dog in sitting down to chew it up properly, "Yeah, you would be some sort of monster to be around here." I shake in finishing the meat and sit with staring at them, "You understand my words?" Nod gently, "Can you speak?" I disagree, "Got a name?" I nod yes and glare, "Shesh, right. Mut it is for now. You can hang around if you want, just don't eat me or my servant." I blinked and prance in a little spot dance. Tail wagged in the idea of walkies with someone to listen to.
"Alright, this way." They directed to how they are walking the path and I walked beside them. Looking at the new stuff.
Path stretched and altered to new looks, the place alter the look of the folks I was hanging out with too. But I stayed the same as I have always, a dog that looked like a wolf breed. I hear something under the floor and lowered in pause to hear it.
Knock knock knock. I stomped the a foot in repeat. This causes a long pause as if they were thinking about it, this being that my own shadow was a dark version of me. Mimic my listen action. I peered to it with how it wore a mask. I understood it just my shadow, a part of me. I wag a tail in greeting and tap twice. It does this with on tap. Now friends I got up and prance in following my friends that I followed here.
My shadow stayed with staring at things on my side… even coming out from the other side and stomping along to go look at stuff.
"Hey Mut, got anything like money or trades?" I never fail in being like a cat that hoards it toys in one place. My shadow storage is full of nice things. Starting with metal scraps or charms I chewed into shape, "Wow, that is interesting." My trade was taken as payment for a drink of some sort of thing. Jumped up to a stool there and claw my drink to me, "Right, you have a concept of trading. What else you got?" I licked up my drink a few times in thinking and looked at those things around this public bar. After a long start, I changed to mimic them. Actions but in voice, "Great, shapehifters that can't speak." I disagree, "Don't know how to." I nod, "But you communicate well without words."
I nod gentle and stopped a hand from touching me. Turned back a paw and clawed at them. This werido backed away instantly. I directed to the one I mimic and stared deeply as they arkwardly moved around to speak to them. I do my looking around for something better to be, liking th crow above me. Became one of them with greyer feathers…. Nested onto the table with being next to my drink. Peck this annoying hand bothering me or my drink again.
"Ouch… fisty little…" I lowerly growled at them and they stopped playing games. I might watch them but quiten down, "You a servant."
"That is something that followed me here, seems nice if you don't wrong each other. Right mut?" Glass lifted for a refill and payment in human money, "Where the heck did you come from?"
"Rare to see living world money." I have my drink refilled of something like a finer tasting and smelling blood drink, "Did you want meat with that?" Nod gently. They go off to fetch that. I inspected the drink quality and then a gentle look at this fella sitting with me and new friend. Not a weapons carrier but… yeah, has a storage full of kit. Not worth my time, "Here you go. Unless you want it cooked." I disagree and picked the meat up with a hand, "Right, just don't eat the customers – demon." I stare deeply at that comment, "Ok, not a demon. Just don't eat people." I nod with understanding this is a public free space and no one should have to fight to be here. Claw rip the meat to strips the chunks. Eat peacefully without bothering others.
"Hey mut, we be moving off. You sticking round of leaving too?" I looked around poured my drink on the meat and sunk that to storage. I waved into a dog and jumped down shake off the feeling. Looked at these new marks on me. Shake off to new colouring and sit with waiting on this friend to move on, "Best you go back to around where you made home." I scrathed a earth with a back paw.
"Goodbye." I spoke and prance my way back to the path, having spooked my friends. Meet up with my shadow. Back to the paths alone, lonely as it gets with passing strangers or things. Collecting bits on my way was getting easy and making rest stops or relax spot to do trade craft making. Made a book and recalled writing like humans. Tracked my inventory of crap in my shadow… tossed out the trash in the proper places.
I would make strange humanoid shapes and to free stand trading along the way. Soundless as always and getting the coolest of stuff. Weapons that are broken or spears from folks they found dead to come back. There was the wondering of souls that I gave without charge of items to help them. I learned new things from trying to listen or understand my customers.
"What's a dog doing here?" I sit up from a resting and shook off my colouring. Prance right around them in caution and then to a humanoid hoodied figure with a many things in my hands on offer, "You trying to trade?" I nod, "Oh, well then. How about your name?" I take out a dagger and threaten them, "Right the nameless dog trader." Knife away, "Can't speak?" away things go and back to a dog, sitting with being to tired to care, "Hey! I wanted to trade." I tilt as in asking first, "I want your soul and service."
"Goodbye." I growled and moved well away from this freak that thinks he can take me and own me. A fool to clever to no follow me around. I go find a new patch and settled here at random. I scanned about with tilting about this spot and settle to sleep again.
"Dog," I wake to stare at a grim, "You're a lost soul now, aren't you?" I sit up and stare at this illusions and glare if this were or not, "How about you choose a…" My tail whipped something abnormal about them. Yes this a fake thing and so I get up and looked around again, "Ouch, that was rude."
"Baily, I wouldn't mess with it." I blinked all tiredly from long day of walking, weigh up my chooses.
"This is a theart to my honour." A blade pointed at me and finds that I turned into something horfiic looking to them; a version of itself melting into haunting looks of other things in last moments of death. Backed them away from me to my out of reach distance… So I shake off my work and sit back down. All tired and staring blankly, "This horror is a freaky nightmare." The pull of more weapons and now servants. I just had to sweep them off their feet and scream at them. Off they ran.
"Amateurs these days, am I right?" I looked at this stranger stepping out from fire, "I don't like enslaving helpful things like you. How about we make a deal?" my tail whipped at their feet as a warning, "Clever, and fair point." They back away, "Not into deals or contracts?" I study them in wondering why I knew this voice for some reason, "had about a promise?" I disagree, "Oh, alright if it must be… I tell you straight. I need a shapeshifter's help to kill someone." I blinked darkly, "I will award you greatly with a home and normal wage living." I sctratched my head with a back paw and whince about this, "Treated like an equal…" I blinked with making my doubt clear, "You a clever dog. You must have deal with my kind before." I spat out some remains from my shadow (face of a clothus puppet creature, ashes, feathers, scales, horns and bones), "You got a lot of crap on here somehow."
"goodbye." I muttered and shake off. Backing away slowly with watching what the heck they going to pull trying with me. I find they sunk from shadow and appear around to where they thought I was going. But it the time they sunk and lifted put.
I jumped into my own shadow and ended up in the reflection side. My mask on me to cover up this not from this reflective world stuff. Off to avoid the shambling weridos around here. These cloud reflections are the bad emtions built by the living in themselves. Often reflecting what they hate or are in fear of.
None bother me; as they can't seem to notice or care. Shambled in pace of the other side. How I dare to pace about and find my way back around someplace I been to before.
I snare with passing a shadow mask in human mock; a thing that would interact with me if they dare. They didn't even seem to care or noticed I passed by doing that. I hop on out of shadow to sit around a guard spot; sit here prentending to be a statue.
"Say, if fate is right. You think that shapeshifting merchant dog be here?" a stone tossed around my feet and knocked off by my tail sweeping it away. It spooked the two hanging about here, "Wow, hey…" I hop down and turned a cloaked figure. Crossed arms in a stare match with them, "Hey, speak of the dog and so it appears. Cool." They showed me a few things like meat, gold bits and some good craving stone, "We heard you like this sort of stuff. We ask you to follow us to the realm of the living."
I tilted in asking of why.
"What? You don't know?"
"You're asking why." I straighten with a light nod for them to get on with why, "We're aware of the case that concerns a family taken too soon." I took items of the trade and shifted to the living dog I used to be, "Wait, you're that families dog?" I nod, "Would you recall what happened?" I tilted downwards with not liking this request, "You're humans are all safe for now." I lowered ears with that comment, "Right, something of the afterlife caused that fire. The grim should have only taken one soul that day but said he had to take others in the fire." I nod with understanding, "Wow, you see them or something?" I twirled about and mocked this grim, "Yeah, that be that death collector." Twirled into my favourite human and pointed to this face, "this one, they are in heaven. Safe." I sighed happy and back to a dog but not my original colours, "Wondering around had changed you?" I whimper, "Right. Well, follow us." Guided me through to white area and smells good. I can't help sniffing around at the floor and scanning about the place.
"Shadow?" I perked up instantly and see someone lower, "Shadow!" I ran right to them and bark play with them and greeted them as all dogs have always. Tummy showing and licking. Play and circling around my human, "I can't believe you're here. You always bring back dead snakes in the newspaper." I bark so glad, "You behaved good I guess."
"Well, they been wondering around lost a while. Even trades things and know how to speak on word in any language."
"Would it be goodbye?" My favourite human asked, "It wouldn't be a shock. Always leaving them in the house alone. It was always bark once as we leave." A good spot pet.
"It's also a shapeshifter." I wasn't being pet anymore, "Yeah, I was trying to tell you."
"Hey, what did I look like to you?" I get asked, and I did that shape of them when they were young sweet and innocent, "Really is you." I get hugged and I have to hug back in the toddler shape. I get let go and looked at again, "Hey what about father and my brother?" I tilted several ways of trying to come up on how to tell… then just sort of walked into shadow and back out with a dairy I started, "Wow, that's cool. What's this?" It taken from my jaw and looked through, "This is a dairy?" I nod and changed something with hands – monkey. Hopped around to move pages back to around where I started this diray. The detailed account of everything I seen from my view. She reads through it just fine, laughed at points for how I thought of things.
How I got her and those two out in time… that the building glass got us both. I died and followed to the hospital and stayed at the side even at the final moments. Then how I stayed to be there for other children and protect the wards. Then of my cross over and a brief moment I wondered around lost. The book closed and back to where it belonged.
"You stayed with me for as long as possible?" I hugged around in and does so in tears, "they still alive now?" I shurg with not knowing, "I am sorry I left you behind like that." I forgiven you. It wasn't all that bad.
"renuined with the family pet; how sweet…" I looked at the clothus that spoken to us; study them for a long time, "What? What is wrong with you?" I turned a larger cloaked figure and guarded my ex-human, "Very scary…" What a nasty little tone you dare take with me… I might consider clawing them eyes out… see with these claws and with my growl.
"Shadow, the nice clothus isn't going to do anything to us." I stop growling but my pose is still a threat, "How about if they say they will not do any funny business?" I whimpered and tilt, "Not into promise making, I guess I would either around such weridos either." She scratched the darkness in the cloak form and I slowly settled a smaller and clawless look.
"What's a mut going to do to me anyway?" I throw ashes on them and they flip about freaked, "What did you throw on me?" backed of and wiping the ashes off, "What is wrong with that fool?"
"Well for a start they aren't human or ex-human or a humanoid of any variation."
"They still think like a dog, right shadow?" I leaned on her, "Yup, still the dog that loves me." licked her too, "I don't like being kissed like that, thanks." I tilt and nuzzled with her shoulder instead. I stop with staring at something and sniffing about the smells I knew were bad news. Stepped around that side to protect her.
"Hey, what's with the cloaked thing?"
"This is shadow now." Smells like the turned bad older brother and I stepped around in a dog form sniffing them and greeting them with caution, "See, they remember you too."
"Whatever, but what's our dog going to do about helping us on information about what happened?"
"They wrote it all down as they recalled it. the grim gave shadow 2 hours to save who they could. We happened to be the two that got caught in the glass burst."
"Glass?"
"The windows shattered outwards in the explosion, the fire kill folks inside, the glass nearly killed me, killed you and killed shadow." I shook into that old shape with the wounds, "Oh…" I scared my human and so I had to go back to normal and hug them.
"You remember seeing the grim ahead of time?" I nod and also altered a crow, "What about the crow carrier?" I mimic crow sounds, "That's haunting…" I go back to a dog and tilt, "You talk to the birds?" I nod, "You talk to birds like that all the time?" I tilted oddly with mimic how humans confuse themselves.
"I like this this mut." I turned and have a blade pointed at the clothus, "Oh, you're that merchant I just ran into." The point directed more, "Yeah, now I know you're a dog. I have no interest in you as a servant." The blade get put away, "Where do you carry all that?" I don't want to share that. And back to a dog to dance about greeting old friends, family and those I knew in life. Talking to the neighbours cats that passed away or the bird I caught… they were good talking buddies.
"This dog has a lot of questionable qualities." I knew that voice and that be crow friend. I go met with them and let them ride on me, pant happy to see them, "Yeah, I miss talking to you too. Made the work something to look forwards to. Always peaceful deaths around you until…" I whimper, "Yeah, I am sorry about that. Grim can't save the living, it's a law." I pout but understood, "say, I hear you trade. Got any meat." I wag tail, "great, take a few death shiny coins." Has them out of no where. And I have one arm changed to hold a plate of chopped chucked meat. It hops to the place and eats an I sit there tail wag happy.
"I never understand animals." A grim sighed, this being a scared up grim I met before getting them scars. I tilt with trying to regocinze why I knew this grim and pant and tail wag in greeting. Staying as I am, feeding the crow, "I didn't expect you to understood me or see me; but your actions saved two lives I couldn't. Two that escaped a unscripted fate." I whimper with not understanding what unscpirted meant. Sounds tasty if it were food.
"Did you know, this dog murdered demons in a hospital?"
"That sounds about right, you followed your human."
"What? You knew about that detail and don't report it?"
"You never killed a grim or angel." I was directed with confusion, "Never hurt one of me or feathered?" I indicated not to have without reason, "Unless selfdefence?" I nod with that, "See, and angels would pick fights with something that protects humans from terrible fates." Well put together there.
I looked around to something at smells interesting, looking around for why it smelled well, what word to call it other then alive. alive? sweaty scared? No. something.
"You sense the follower over there, I did too." the crow finished up and the plate is gone, "Rare to have living among here unless they wer looking for their contractor?" I tilted with no understanding, "the living can make contract with powerful strong beings. Angels, demons, gods and the occasional something else. Clothus are banned and excuted for such deals to living humans." You learn new things, "You in a contract?" I disagree, "You have been threaten them for trying." I nod, "I would to if not a crow. Your clever for a soul of a dog." The foot pets me, "there there. I think you been clever to avoid it."
"Hey!" I looked at how this living walked through us and to this grim, "Them humans you asked about if they were fine are alright. Depressed from the loss of their close loved ones. They stated it being a gas leak and praise the dog for warning them in time. Dog's dead tho."
"Great, thanks for the help." Grim direct to this lot, "This be the other half…"
"Well, grandma and mothers not here. or in hells."
I bark and shifted into a masky thing, with a shrug to add.
"Became a clothus?" I go back to a dog but I don't know how to tell them that isnt what that was, "One of the main three and the one place most can't check and are often impossible to find." I looked to some friends of mine and tap asking if they knew anything. The crow listened to the animals with their words to say.
"They are among shadow, according to these cats." The crow croaked, "Such a fickle race of animals."
"You could say that again." The elder borther sighed, "One's always creeping about my new house." I peered questionable and did some alter shape to see if I would ever mimic one, "Yeah, more scale like that." I was a hell version of a watcher… Hissed and back to a dog.
"A hell watcher on you?"
"I have plain white masked shadows follow me." my favourtie pointed out. And I turned into one of them, "like that."
"A shadow puppet." I altered the mask and glare, "What? Is there a translation for what they are?"
"curse lost." I spoke gentle and back to a dog. Sitting down, a bit more then just tired, "Lost damned. Lost souls. Lost. Regretful ones."
"Regert?"
"Can forgive or be forgiven."
"I know… those thongs are soul spirits too." I show my mask in the proper colouring, "Holy smokes, I hate them things." I tilt with understanding.
"Not all that can forgive or be forgiven are easy to handle. What's your deal dog?" I leaned with my human and my mask crumbled away, "Oh, you wanted to find her."
"Forgive her." I nuzzle, "child, protect. My human. Was human. Human?" I stopped with staring at something trying my shadow and finds a nasty trap for it, "You…. Why watching?" I pinned them under me, "You want what?"
"revenge." I stomped the mask through and it turned dust.
"never listens. Fight all big they think. Nasty bad mask."
"It the length of time you been here listening to us, it is only now you been starting to try to talk like us."
"shy to speak out. Shy of others not mine. My pack, my protection. Speak words need to protect them."
"Dog mentality." The crow sighed, "You remember anything around you?"
"if there were, they be dusty. Protect me and protect my pack. Fight when have to. Listen to nasty words and written them if have to. Do to protect my friends and the occasional customers."
"Uh, got list of them?" I disagree with never taking names, "remember what they look like?" I tilted with a few times changing only my head, "Ok, cool you got that covered." I stop with hearing a strange irritating sound. Covered my ears in not liking it. Whimpering with how painful it becomes.
There was tapping around me and the crow trying to pin where that sound is from… stopped it from going on. Dropped the death whistle to grim.
"Noise maker, designed to stop slayers." I shake off the feeling and wipe my ears on the floor.
"Hey! Wow, stay away from that. That not a dog." I don't care about this lot of annoying pests. I just care that the ringing aftermath is irritating. Not hurting anyone with being like this. My actions hurt no one. Not even my crow friend hopping along my back to check on me. Tugged at my fur in places, had me look at what was really going on.
"We have a slayer as our pet dog. That's cool and explains a lot. Must have been where all the things went."
"I want my hoodie back." My favourite human demanded and I pout with handing it back, "Why do have my hoodie?"
"silly you. Smells like you and reminds me of you when feeling sad." She pats my head and sighed. Just another dog thing to do, I bet is what she could be thinking. I like that itchy spot right there, smiling and happy. Kick a foot around just how tickled.
"Hey!" I jumped instantly up and backed away from the weapons drew around me, "You, what are you doing here?" I make myself as small as possible but do not show surrender towards them. This crazy bunch dragged my favourite away, having me growling in worry she be hurted in anyway.
"Shadow, stop. I don't think these folks understand. That's all." I whimper and cool off but glare about the weapons pointed around, making sure none go near her, "A good girl get treats if she behaves." I wag a tail to that, "Like a carrot." I really wag my tail to that. The folks backed off with seeing I follow dog treats to well.
"Alright. Let's have a game and be awarded with treat at the same time. Right?" I nod and wag along happy about this. My human giving me attention, playing a game and treats of carrot. It's a good day. "Ok, and stand." Up on four, "dance." Up on two back paws and walk around in a circle. A treat tossed to me… not so dog caughting reflex. A whole large carrot chewed up in one gulp. I sit with chewing my treat and waited for the next instruction. Tilting with waiting through the long pause, "Uh, lay down." Down I go with tail swaying this whole time, "then roll over." Rolled over both ways and happy panting. Another treat, reflext just happens… to dislocate what seems my jaw to chew with more then one row of teeth is just how I work, "Right, up up." I standing back on all four, "gentle." I gentle take the treat from her hand and eat it like a normal dog.
"I say you have it under contract?"
"No. This would our dog and we lived with them when we were all alive. The whole how human interact with domesticated animals is on play here." I tilt with not understanding words again but I have carrot and my human loves me because she gave me carrot. Carrot good and tasty and humans it them too. I like it when she bites into then give it to me. that the best treat.
"Shadow?"
"We always called our dog shadow." I back to all four and shook into normal coat as they would remember me with, "Our dark wolf of mushy." I wag my tail in understanding they are talking good about me. I must have been a very good doggy.
"Hey Shadow. Caught." Something shiny throw and I caught it in my jaw. To happy to care what it was. Just that I caught it and was going to bring it back. Dancing along happy that I caught it. Dropped on the floor at the feet of the one that throw it, "Uh, right. Well, that's issue."
"The silver didn't work."
"It's not going to hurt a good dog." The girm sighed, "If not been a dog during its living life, they would have likely ended up here. Good dogs always end up among the clothus or heaven branchs. Rare few go to hell. Cats are like that but are much more fickle. Roam anywhere; hell heaven and clothus realms."
I looked at the weapon I dropped at the floor and slide it closer to the one that throw it. They moved away uncomfortable with me waiting for someone to throw it. I have my attention to snapped finger pointed to my human's side. I looked at the weapon and consider bringing it with me. The second snap and I pout my way across wondering why sticking around that spot was a bad thing. Sitting as asked and gentle in taking a carrot. Much away in silence as they mutter about things I don't care about.
"Shadow, follow me." I get up and follow my human, dance with a waggin tail. Smile happy to follow my human. Just for a second for one moment to everything being dandy to everything turned against me; even my human with a weapon. I didn't understand, surrendering with tummy showing whimpering. Weapons lowered with a grim break this fight arpart.
"Why turn on the one that saved you? The one that stayed at you side even to the hospital and at the worse of time. Made sure you didn't feel alone. I can very much confirm being your dog, this good soul isn't the one that did this. Not the one that took your lives away." In that being said weapons were put away.
"But it can't belong here." as rules are rules, "Do you understand?"
My tears weren't the only thing to have instantly notice from hearing that. It was the whistle of sorrow and the low body language. Taking it as if I had been a bad dog, not good enough to stay with my friends and not to stay with my family. Go without my human.
"Then I will leave. I am sorry for any issues I caused. I didn't mean any harm." Sink to shadow and walked the negative reflection… I felt shame for being a bad dog.
"Shadow was always a good dog." I hear from my human at least before truly leaving, "I am sure there would have never been any issues other then what others thought of shadow." I am glad she stood up for me. I makes me feel that bit better. It don't stop this from hurting me.
"I will go find the dog." The crow huffed, "You angels misunderstand how much that will hurt something like a pet. A loyal dog takes every action and comment to heart. You have just shamed their honour… by not saying why and ordering in such a horrid tone."
"What does a bird know about the animal kingdom when it's a death carrier?"
"More sense than anyone of you put into one."
I was back to the path walking, looking around for anything and sniffling for any clues. I could even feel like doing that either. Just go have a sit by my humans grave stone, that make me feel a little better. Hoping it will. Greeted by all local wildlife alike – birds, the rare fox or the neighbouring loss pets. Here snuffling about what why I did wrong.
"Hey flea bag, you would happen to know where the nearest hot in season is?" I didn't even look at this dog that came to talk to me, "Hey! I am talking to you…" have a sniff at my ear. Sits in front of the stone and paws me for attention, "Hey, you ok? Sorry for calling you flea bag, thought you were like me."
"My human is gone and I am not allow to follow them around anymore. Got told off without being told why." The normal dog lays leaning next to me and head over in a hug, "My human I saved from the fire died in stinky smell 'clean' bed. I stayed with them for the whole time. Then they left me… just a slab of meat on the bed. Then meat put in box." My paw tapped the dirt underneath, "meat here." tears and whimpering, "When they found me, my human. I get all the loves and treat. Told to leave without why. Not allow to stay they said. No 'good girl' go outside and stay because land rules. Just leave. What bad did I do?"
"there there." Licked up the tears, "Cheer up, you going to be a new dog now. No need of owners or nasty humans that treat you badly. You go where you want and you get what you want. Fight for it if you have to."
"But I liked my human."
"Such a pet. Don't be pet anymore. Be wild like me or that clever sneaking kniving fox." It lifted head and sniffed around, "Meat smells good. I going to go fetch it. Want any?"
"No thanks. You go. I move too, maybe. Thanks for talking to me. Feel bit better."
"It's rough world out there." Off he pattered, gone like the wind.
Local birds were making a big fuss landing one in front of me. I looked at it for a while not really caring… but it was its eye that changed colour that had me back up and glare at it. It makes not bird noises I knew. So I growled at it, it backed away a little. The jaw readjusted on it (not a bird) – it were more a gapping hole then a bird. So I did something like changed a few colour and dripped in shadow, a growl that echoed hollowly at it. It turned back a bird and backed off, watching me.
"You not a soul to eat."
"I will dust you little caracus if you don't move off mock. Leave me be and don't you dare test me."
"Oh, fisty spirit dog. You might be worth eating…" I pinned it under my feet claw peeled the wings wide open. I growl was more growing worse, "Get off me you mut." I clawed in all the more, just angered, "I will eat you. At the count of ten."
"ten huh? You talking to a slayer and you think you going to eat it?" Interrupted my crow friend, "You imp demons are very stupid." I peeled them off the floor at least but held a bone snapping grasp about the wings of it.
"Burn crisps, a death carrier. It's warning me that I can't try."
"A lord has more meat to peel off the bone then some snot like you. All your worth is that black sand you leave behind, puppet from hell. Scrap the fact I could hunt you down, voice. Maybe I consider have a feast on you."
"You really encountered a puppet like this before. Impressive chance of that happening here."
"I will walk the flames of hell if it means protecting those I love. Don't you dare test me, because I will hunt you down and your not going to enjoy it."
That aside the creature poured into sand and were collected into a jar capped and a seal wipped over it. Away it went for later.
"I was going to say that you been a very good dog and you should have been treated like that when you left. You're human," it looked at the grave I was at, "Uh, human even stood up for you. Disappear like smoke and very predictable – dog." I lay with settling… starting at their name and thinking of their face, "You demon hunter?"
"I do when needed. Protect humans where I have to. Let no hurt reach them by me or other. No demon, angel or grim with dare hurt those I protect." I huffed, "But how can I when not allow around my human's soul. Worse be told off for no reason… it was all play moments before. Play fetch and move for treats games."
"They are human's; what you expect? They wouldn't understand us pets, carrier and animals. The length we go to for them and little offering."
"You think I should take that dog's advice?" I asked.
"What dog?"
"Just a local stray, talking about being a rebel and taking what I want. Live where I like and just let instincts run me."
"No!" I looked up to the bird, "We are civil and domesticated hard working creautres. We should have to stoop low back to thing that think of just food, sex and sleep."
"Domesticated?"
"When they believe were tame to interact without hurting them." I thought about it, "They use it to talk about pets or farm animals. Believe humans changed us to make us work with them. The truth is were us, we made them work with us. We domesticated them." I snickered with how that lodgic worked out to be both ways true. I taught my humans to let me go potty, give me food, how to crawl and helped them walk their first steps. Proud I am of my human. She grow to die pretty. Lovely pretty girl she is.
My human… sigh.
"what do I do then? I am lost again." I pouted, "I were homeless since death by glass impaled. Wondering around looking for my humans or a place to sleep." I pouted deeper, "Not like I trust anything out there. I am not some slave to be owned but a friend to be there."
"Why not become a official demon hunter? Get money to buy a house. You can be what you want while at this new home. Make a good perch holiday let for us carriers. Trade stories like no tomorrow. I bet the grim locals are easy to fool into thinking your one of them."
"Really?" I lifted up about that, but looked at this grave, "What of… what if… You really think they accept a bad dog like me?"
"You're not a bad dog. You weren't being told off for anything, they just protecting their territory." I thought about that in that way.
"Wouldn't grim do that too?"
"What if you got some to know and accept you? Like whom ever becomes your neighbour. Or house mate?" I like that, "You could make a shop there to sell stuff too."
"Yeah, stone cutting equipment." I stood up liking this idea, "Make good charms to protect customers." I wag my tail to the vast ideas, "Buy my house and make it mine. Yeah! Comfy feather stuff pillows, good weaved blankets and human memory foam mattress. The biggest bed room."
"Your on board with that? That didn't take much ot of you."
"Better then slave or trash… better then being alone on that terrible path again." I fluffed up and sit happy with wondering where to go, "How do I get to your grim realm?" I asked the crow.
"I take you there. This way a secret, show and tell none… fly with me."