When the Moon Rises Chapter Two- Teeth and Claws

Gasping and spluttering, coughing out water, Kyle Harden shakily sucked in a raspy breath as if he hadn't breathed in years. Kyle groaned and lay his head back on the ground, coughing silently, water running from his mouth. He rolled over onto his stomach and lifted himself up a little, heaving out the contents of his stomach, along with the water from his near drowning. Frowning, he gazed around. Nothing here seemed familiar, that was for sure. The fear within him grew. "Wh...Where...?" he asked quietly, and then coughed again as the vibrations of his voice tickled his throat. "M...Max?" he whispered, glancing around wildly. Where was Max? Was he okay? Had Max made it out of the river? What if...what if he hadn't? What if his second brother was dead? He closed his eyes and shook his head. No, Max wasn't dead; he couldn't be. His heart pounded painfully hard at his chest, and his breaths turned shaky once more. Groaning, he struggled to his feet and stumbled, nearly falling over, but he managed to catch himself. "Where am I?" he questioned, though he knew he wouldn't get an answer. Sighing, he looked at the river that he had been lying next to, and frowned. How had he gotten out? Alive? How...? He looked around, but didn't see anyone. Surely someone had to have gotten him out, but where were they? He sighed and shook his head, figuring it best if he didn't dwell on things he couldn't answer. He was alive; that was all that mattered. No, he mentally corrected himself. It wasn't all that mattered. Max mattered too, and all he wanted to do right then was find him. One way...or another. He gulped, suddenly fearing that he would stumble across Max's body if he continued along the river's edge, but then shook his head, clearing his thoughts. No, Max wasn't dead. He was okay and was probably waiting for him. Yeah, that was it. Taking a deep, calming breath, he took a step forward and shakily made his way along the river's edge, looking for any sign of his friend. There was none, sadly, and the fear within him grew. What had happened while he had been out? How long had he been out? He knew Max wouldn't just up and leave him there all alone...so what had happened to make him be alone? Had Max just not found him yet, or...or had something terrible happened to him? Possibilities raced through his mind, and he shivered involuntarily at the flashes he got. Shaking his head, he focused on the task at hand, which was finding Max. "Max?" he whispered, shivering slightly with the breeze as it picked up, his clothes soaked from the water. He sneezed and then coughed, gazing around with tired eyes. "Max where are you?"

There wasn't an answer. There were no footprints in the muddy ground, so he knew that Max hadn't been with him. Where was his second brother? Unable to think straight, he continued onward, unsure of where he was going, only knowing who he was looking for. He gazed around for Max, but couldn't see him. He looked across the river to the other side, but still didn't see any sign of him. The terror within him grew as dread gripped his heart and held it tightly, refusing to let go. What if the Arable Force had gotten him? He felt weak in the knees at that thought. The Arable Force. Those bastards. 'No...' he thought to himself as he shook his head. Max surely hadn't gotten caught by them...he was too smart, too quick, for that. But then again...he had been in the river. What if he had washed up on shore, and the Arable Force had grabbed him and had taken him away? Or had executed him on the spot? Shivers ran through his body as he got more flashes in his mind from the possibilities that the Arable Force could do. Max couldn't have been killed by them; not so soon after he had met up with him after thinking that he was dead. Tears suddenly filled his eyes. This was all his fault. If he had only warned them, then Max wouldn't have been put in danger, and there wouldn't be so many dead. If he had only been a better swimmer, he might have made it to the other side with Max, and then they could have been on their way. Now...he shook his head. The Arable Force could really have Max, they could have already killed him. It was an actual possibility, and it terrified him so much that he could hardly breathe.

"Max...please...where are you?" he called out quietly, and he could hear his voice as it trembled with fear. "Max?" he said a little louder, but still, his only answer was the howling of the wind and the rushing of the river passing by. He sighed and hung his head low, his shoulders shaking slightly. "Max...where...please...where are you?" he heard dog howls and barks off in the distance, and stiffened almost immediately. The Arable Force. They were nearby. His first instinct was to run, which was a smart idea. But he couldn't help but worry that they had Max and would soon kill him, if they hadn't already. He closed his eyes. If they had Max, he prayed that they hadn't killed him already. "Max..." he whispered, and took a step back, somewhat moving toward the trees, wanting some cover just incase the Arable Force suddenly came at him. "Max!" he cried. "Where are you? Please!" he was scared, alone, and worried. He was terrified. Turning on his heel, he raced into the cover of the trees, his body trembling as he cowered in fear behind one of the trees, a small whimper escaping his throat.

He suddenly heard a howl in the distance, and he paused, cocking his head to the side to listen. 'Max?' he thought to himself. Was it Max's Majestic? He prayed that it was. Maybe there was still hope. He heard the dog growls of the Arable Force, and stiffened in fear when he realized that they were closer, somewhere very near. He suddenly heard the sound of feet pattering against the ground, and suddenly five vicious dogs were surrounding him, backing him up against the tree, his heart racing around wildly, hs chest heaving in fear. Letting forth a yelp of terror, he tried to climb up the tree, but wasn't able to do so before one of the dogs bit his ankle and pulled him back to the ground. He felt blood flow from the puncture wounds on his ankle, from where the dog was still biting and shaking his head, tearing at the flesh more. He struggled to move away, but then another dog snapped at his arm, making him pull back quickly, releasing a shout of surprise and fear.

"Help!" he cried, struggling to pull away from the snapping jaws of death. He knew the Arable Force couldn't be far behind; if he was going to get away, he had to hurry and get past these dogs somehow. "Help me!" he shouted. "Please!" he let out a cry of pain as one of the dogs bit his arm, shaking its head as the teeth tore into the flesh, making a jagged puncture wound. He pulled back, but it only made the wound worse as it was torn from the dog's mouth. "Help me, please! Max! Someone! Please!"

Suddenly a black wolf with intense eyes leaped from the bushes, snarling at the dogs, its fangs showing plainly, its ears folded against its head, its haunches raised. The dogs all turned toward it, forgetting about Kyle, and began to charge the wolf, growling and snapping with teeth. Kyle watched in worry as the wolf was lost in the pile of dogs.

"...Max..." he heard himself whisper, and he rose to his feet. The wolf, obviously Max, swatted the dogs away one by one, but they just kept coming back, and he growled at the dogs, snapping at them viciously. Kyle winced when Max was knocked down hard, jaws snapping at his vulnerable underbelly. But Max rolled back onto his feet and swatted the dogs away. Kyle heard more dogs coming, and his eyes widened. "Max! Get away! Run!" he shouted as three more dogs raced past him, ignoring him completely. The new dogs joined the fight with Max, and all he could do was watch, worried. There were too many. Max was totally outnumbered. "Max! Get out of here!" In a mass of fur, teeth, and claws, he heard Max yelp and saw him go down, whimpering greatly as he did so, before he lay still, his eyes blinking slightly. Frozen in horror, he watched as the crimson liquid began to flow from his wounds, covering the ground around him. The dogs were still tearing into him, at his sides, his stomach, his legs and chest... "Max..." he whispered, eyes wide. "Max, no!" he cried, and ran forward, furiously swatting the dogs away, but they just growled at him and snapped at him. While five were busy with him, he saw the others go for Max again, who merrily gave a small whimper and lay there. "Max!"

He heard a whistle, and suddenly all of the dogs stopped what they were doing and raced off back in the direction they had come. Kyle immediately ran to Max's side and dropped down next to him, brushing back some of his bloodied and sticky fur. Tears filled his eyes, and he gently petted Max on the head. The wolf closed his eyes for a moment, and then opened them again.

"...Max..." Kyle whispered, his young eyes wide and frightened. The wolf's flank was heaving with heavy breaths, and the young boy closed his eyes tightly and then opened them again. He watched as the wolf slowly began to turn back into his beloved friend. Max's clothes were torn and bloodied, and he was lying on his back, his eyes gazing at the sky, blinking every so often, while his chest rose and fell with each heavy breath. "Max..." Kyle whispered, and Max slowly looked at him.

"...Hey...kiddo..." Max whispered quietly. "You can...still run..." he winced and closed his eyes for a moment, and then opened them again. "They're...not here...yet..."

"...I know..." Kyle said quietly, tears beginning to race out of his eyes and down his cheeks. "Max...look at you..." he shook his head, choking back a sob, his breaths shaky. "Oh God, please don't die..." he closed his eyes tightly, struggling to supress his sobs. "Please don't die Max, please..."

"...Kyle...get...out...of here...please..." Max whispered, turning his gaze back up to the sky. "Just...get out...of here..."

"...No...No please, you can't die...please..." sobs escaped his mouth as he spoke, making his words sound pitiful and broken. "You can't die Max, please...don't die...Dear God, don't die..." his body trembled with sobs, and Max looked at him, his eyes beginning to darken. "You can't die on me, please! Please...don't..."

"...Please...get out of...here..."

"No...No I won't leave you..." his eyes tightly closed, he felt so alone. "God, this is all my fault Max...I'm so sorry..." his body trembled all the more. He hadn't warned them, he hadn't made it across the river, and he hadn't ran when he had had the chance, allowing he dogs to get him and make Max save him. "I'm so sorry...please Max, you can't die..."

Max didn't answer this time, only stared at him silently. Suddenly voices could be heard in the distance, coming closer and closer. Kyle stiffened slightly, but he didn't really care anymore. Max was dying, and that was all he cared about. "Kyle...run..." Max whispered beneath his breath.

Kyle shook his bowed head. "No...I can't leave you...I won't..."

"...Please..."

"No. I won't leave you Max...I won't...Oh God..." another onslaught of tears and sobs overwhelmed him. "Please don't die...please don't go Max, I'm begging you...please...don't die..."

"...Kyle..."

"There he is!" came a voice, and suddenly Kyle was grabbed and pulled roughly to his feet, his eyes still focused on Max, his head still bowed. "What about that one?" the one holding him pointed at Max, who was breathing heavily.

"Leave him," replied another one. "Our job is to kill them; he won't last but another minute or so. Our dogs did the trick." and then he laughed.

Kyle growled beneath his breath and shoved away from them, dropping back down next to Max and grabbing his hand, giving it a tight squeeze. He remembered when Max had always held his hand when he had been scared, and he wanted to be there for Max. "Max...please...don't die..." the person grabbed him again, but he furiously pulled away. When they grabbed him a third time, he shouted, "No! I won't leave him!"

"...We should take them both, really," said another voice. "So one dies on the way there. Big deal. What's one more body?"

Kyle shivered involuntarily, gripping Max's hand tighter. Max gave a small squeeze back, his breaths slowly dying away. "Max..." he whispered beneath his breath. "God, don't die...please don't die...Max..." Max merrily smiled at him, and then his eyes slipped closed, his breaths hitching and going dangerously shallow. Kyle's eyes widened tremendously, and he looked at the men and shouted, "Help him! Please!"

One of them laughed. "Why should we? We're supposed to kill you off anyway. Let him die."

"No, please, you don't understand! You have to help him! He'll die! Please...don't...don't let him die..." tears trailed down his cheeks. "Please, you have to help him...I'll do anything...please..."

They all shared a look. "Anything?" they asked as one, confusing Kyle slightly though he didn't think about it.

"ANYTHING! I'll do anything, just please help him! Don't let him die, and I'll do anything you want!" he cried, clutching at the elder boy's hand as the breaths faded away. "Please! HELP HIM!"

The men sighed and one of them moved forward, lifting Max into his arms. Max's head lolled onto the man's chest, and the man scoffed. "Looks to be dead already," he said, shrugging. "But there's still life. Barely, but some. Not sure if we can save him, but if we do, you're ours," he said, glaring at Kyle.

Kyle nodded rapidly. "I'll do whatever you want, I'll do anything, just please help him..." he said softly. "Please...I'll do whatever, just don't let him die..."

Laughing, the man nodded and began walking off. Two of the men grabbed one of his arms each, and he was dragged along after the man who had Max nestled into his arms.

'God, please don't die Max...' he thought to himself as he was dragged along. 'Please...'