:Tour Stop Number 1:

[:Akio:]

:Akio:

Akio walzted up to the gates. He looked up at the tall black metal rising above him and leading into the Ashen City. He sighed. How many times had he looked at the gates in the same way he did now? He shook his head and turned around, facing his back towards the fence and gates.

His eyes searched for the little pup that should have been following him. He was amused at first by her ways, but they had gotten rather annoying by the end of his 'talk' to her. He had figured that she probably wasn't listening throughout the whole thing.

Akio hadn't exactly wanted to show Tee the territory and if another pack member came by now he would surely ask them to take Tee around. He sighed and waited for her to arrive, hopefully she hadn't been to far behind and lost track of him.

[Rianna]

Tee tried her best to keep up with Akio on her tiny legs. Every once in a while she would fall behind and then have to rush to get back on track. She was so concentrated on keeping up she hadn't realized that he had stopped walking and bumped into him. Tee went and plopped down on her rump next to him looking up at the huge gates. She felt like an ant compared to them.

She turned to look up at Akio wondering where they were and what this gigantic thing happened to be. She walked up to the gates and peered inside. The entergetic little pup might have even been able to squeeze through the bars if she hadn't gotten an enormous sense of forboding as soon as she looked through the bars.

She backed up and plopped back down next to Akio. Her ears flopping up and down with every bouncy movement.

[:Akio:]

:Akio:

Akio wasn't amused nor angry by Tee's little bump into him. His face had that serious look it had when he started talking about the Pack lands. He wanted the pup to know that this was no joke.

His eyes gazed at the pup and he decided to begin what would be the small pups first lesson. "This is the place we call the 'City Gates'. We hold meetings here every other night, so you'll have to be careful to remember to come."

Before continuing on he looked inside the gates at the blacked city. Ash lay in piles. Amazingly the gates still stood strong and untouched. "Inside there," he said with a jerk of his head at the city. "Is the Ashen City. We have some territory in there too. I'll show you that soon enough. The North Pack, South Pack and East Pack have places there too though. You mussen't stray only their territory. Understood?" His eyes bored into the little pups fur. This was the most important thing. She would soon bear the West Packs scent, and if she stepped one foot on the other packs territories she'd be taken prisoner, if she was lucky...

[Rianna]

Tee tried to pay attention for she was eager to please Akio but it was very hard. She listened to his words. They went in one ear and most went out the other. Okay.. she said to herself. Pack meetings every other night and don't go on other territories. she tried to remember that but knew she would probably end up forgetting. She nodded once a very large, exaggerated nod and looked up at the city gate once more.

"Uh-huh!" she said as he asked her if she understood. She wondered why it was so bad to go on another pack's territory but didn't ask him. She looked around and then back up at Akio. "Now what?" she said excitedly. It was one of those days where she wouldn't ever tire. That always meant soon would come the other kind of day where weariness and fatigue hit her hard. Tee wasn't aware that her extra hyperness and tiredness were actually a disorder. She just thought that she was a normal pup.

[:Akio:]

:Akio:

Akio nodded slowly, but he didn't really know why. He wasn't thinking about his nod either. He was thinking about what would happen if Tee was found accidentally tresspasing on the South Packs territory. He could see them tearing her apart, no questions asked, even a pup like her.

Akio now shook his head, ridding the thought from his mind. His pale blue eyes looked at the pup sadly. With one blink the look was gone though. "Would you like to go inside?" he asked, a smile creeping up upon his face. Akio had loved his first visit into the city.

[Rianna]

Tee looked up at Akio slightly frightened but she didn't want to show it. She walked up to the city gates and peered inside once more getting a bad feeling. "I-in there..?" she said. Then she tried to act brave. "Sure!" she said her voice a little shaky.

Inside she knew it would be alright if Akio was there, even if she had just met him, she trusted him. Tee tended to trust dogs even if she shouldn't. She gave her trust out to easily.

She waddled quickly back to Akio and waited until he started to walk. She didn't want to lead the way into a city like that.

[:Akio:]

:Akio:

Akio chuckled and then turned to the gates. He smiled up at the black bars that towered above him. The gates already stood ajar, but just so he didn't have to squeeze through he used his nose to push it open a bit farther. A screech met his ears and he sighed happily. For some reason he loved the sound of the gate squeaking when he opened it. He looked at Tee and gave her a toothy grin before setting off into the Ashen City.

The ash that lay in a large layer on the once cemented path was soft beneath Akio's paws. His eyes lingered ahead of him, looking at the burned buildings and stuff ahead of him. His eyes sparkled as the familiar smell of smoke clogged his nose. He didn't know why he should be happy about that, but it just felt so natural. He took in a deep breath through his nose to taste everything around him, really only smoke.

Akio kept walking and walking. He knew where he was heading. He loved the place lots, even though it could be dangerous. One wrong step and glass would be engraved in your paw for eternity. Akio shivered, feeling the imaginary pain start in his paw and run up his spine. He laughed to himself. He seemed to love all the wrong places.

TO: The Shattered Glass Building.