"Athletic, good-looking, and smart—all the things this empire of mine seeks," said Max. He bobbed and weaved through the crowd. His white shirt burned lightly from the heat. The people in the streets parted for him without realizing it, due to an eerie sensation.

  "You don't sound too happy about that little pup," a dark, gravelly voice responded.

  "I'm not." Max stopped moving, causing the invisible speaker to bump into him. His shoulder jutted forward slightly causing Max to grunt.

  “Be careful, pup,” Sirius growled. His thick paws tapped on the cement.

  Max stopped for a moment. His eyes were glued to the screen. "I've seen her before..."

  "Unlikely," Sirius snorted.

  "What do you mean?" Max turned his head slightly to semi-glance back.

  "That girl ran in the plains of Fandeseia," said Sirius.

  As they talked, a girl in a pale blue hoodie approached them. Strands of her long, dirty brown hair were visible.

  Mai stopped moving when she reached his shoulder. She bumped him lightly. She had observed him in the crowd mumbling to himself earlier. What really drew her attention was the entirely black, wolf-like creature with four sets of horns trotting behind him. "I see him," Mai whispered. She then ran off.

  Max froze, causing his arm to fall. A loud thud echoed from the schoolbag that slid down his arm, drawing him back. He bent down, picking the bag up.

  Sirius lifted his snout. His red, gleaming eyes became visible for a second. "It comes, he cried jovially, "YES! Haha!"

  A pink dust flashed and rolled in. The people who breathed it in, nodded a few times before their eyelids drifted closed.

  Thumps echoed one after another.

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  Max's eyes darted around. His breath stopped for a moment. He sensed his lungs’ gradual release of oxygen crying out for air.

  The sound of footsteps echoed loudly.

  Max's eyes twitched with each repeating sound.

  "I'm only going to ask this once," said Mai. She stepped out of the fog with Jewel beside her and Licorice holding her cannon arm over Mai's shoulder.

  "What side are you on?" Mai finished speaking once she became visible to the other teenager.

  "What?" Max rasped.

  "I said, what side?" Mai narrowed her eyes. "You have a great horned veiled Wolf. It isn't known to this world."

  "You know about Sirius?" Max stuttered. "Wait, that means you can see him!" He glanced over to the large, dense wolf. His mouth felt dry. He tried to swallow, but the gulp kept getting stuck in his throat. That means he is in danger. She is going to harm Sirius!

  Mai blinked once and then twice. "I already said I could. Also, you were talking to yourself, and the crowd was giving you a wide berth. They didn't realize it, but I could feel it leaking.

  Sirius's snout slowly gathered wrinkles. He spread his paws apart."Come, human, and your minions too, let me taste you. Leave my human out of your games. I don't appreciate your word play."

  "Word play?" Mai tilted her head. The sudden sounds of thundering footsteps caused Mai to grin. The whirl of helicopter blades cleared the fog, revealing the sleeping occupants.

  Mai's hands darted into her hoodie, pulling out a small firearm. She moved quickly slamming her fore arm in to his throat. She then spun around, pressing the gun to Max's forehead.

  Max made a sound as Mai's arm smacked his throat. “Gahh.” He then felt the coldness pressed against his forehead.

  "Good afternoon," said Mai. "Look at your military. You may die today by my hands or theirs. Let's hope you have some use."

  Max's senses came back to him as he heard multiple safeties being clicked. His eyes caught sight of fully geared men and women holding rifles. Beside the military personnel, there were two massive and long armored vehicles.

  "Shall we dance?" whispered Mai.

  Sirius's snout lost its wrinkles one by one. His growl faded. "I do not like this."

  "Aw, are you worried about your master?" Mai spoke condescendingly.

  "That pup found me and nursed me back to health." Sirius made himself visible and sat beside Mai.

  The military members gasped. Murmurs filled the area. A few lowered their weapons while others kept theirs raised.

  In one of the massive armored vehicles sat an elderly man with decorative strips. Commander Melvin monitored the screens. A black headset stationed over his head whirled to life. He sighed. "Let her flee, but ask her to release the boy." The man's shoulders tensed as he waited for a reply. He kept his eyes glued to the screens. Eventually Mai backed herself into an alley.

  "She's gone, sir. Took the boy with her," replied one of the men.

  Melvin wrinkled his nose. "I can see that. But why out of all the available people here, why did she take that one?"