The night was dark, yet far from quite. The moon and stars blocked out by snake and ash. The only light was that of the fires and the glow from energy weapons discharge. Ihisil looked towards the east, the nearest gate leading out of the city, thankful for the darkness which helped to hide her movements. As she stood, ready to make a move towards relative safety, a scraping noise followed by a moan froze her in place. Kneeling quickly, holding her breath afraid to even breathe in case it is heard, but telling herself it was to better hear what was out there. In the darkness a small figure can be seen approaching, silhouetted by a distance fire. Limping, the figure continues to approach, the moaning, heard more clearly now, is actually a whine, a whimper. Feeling around in the darkness Ihisil searches for a weapon, not wanting to use her sidearm for fear of the noise and conservation of ammo. Wrapping her fingers around a piece of wood, she flinches as a splinter embeds itself in her palm, cursing under her breath as the figure stops moving, obvious earring the sound she did not know she made, and begins moving towards her. Lifting the wood, she prepares to attack as an energy burst passes over her head, illuminating the area. Diving for cover, praying the sudden light temporarily blinded what ever was out there, Ihisil lays motionless. The sound of whimpers and light steps approaches. She lays there, unable to move, waiting to be killed or taken prisoner. Whispering in her ear, something cold on her cheek, wet flesh slides across her face. Startled, she turns quickly ready to strike. The figure, covered in fur collapses next to her. Reaching up Ihisil sighs in relief as she wraps her hand around a dog.

A wet tongue wakes her with a soft whimper. The sun has risen, the smoke blocks its full fury but filtered light brightens the day. Looking around for any signs of danger, Ihisil slowly sits up, running her hand over the dog. He whimpers and shys away slightly, the right front leg lifted and curled under it’s body. “Shh, shh, good boy. Are you hurt?” Reaching out slowly, she gently strokes the leg, finding something sharp and hard sticking through the leg, after some inspection she finds it is a nail. “You poor thing, let’s get that out first.” Gripping the nail by the head she pulls, the dog whimpers and try’s to jump back, the movement causing the nail to pull out quickly. He limps over and sniffs at the nail just removed from his leg. Ihisil rips fabric from her shirt, using near by sticks she makes a splint and bandages her new friend.

Running her hand over her back she takes a closer look. Tan throughout most of the body, his face, from nose to above the eyes were black, giving the appearance of wearing a mask. His tail, and legs, slowly darken until turning fully black at the end of the tail and paws. “You look a bit like my granddad’s dogs, but I don’t know what they were. But i do know you need a name. Grandma, being Italian, often called us all Mio, which I think means mine, so that will be your name, Mio. What do you think of that.” Mio gave a soft bark, which Ihisil took as god sign. Still limping slightly, Mio laid down at her feet, as Ihisil looked down she could see a collar. Both Mio and the collar were dirty with dust and ash, taking the collar off Ihisil took a closer look. As she cleaned the dust off, symbols began to appear, embroidered on the collar. The symbols were strange, yet familiar. As the last of the dirt cleared and Ihisil took the collar by the buckle, the symbols shifted. Eyes wide, Ihisil looked closely, the writing now made since, “Guard this with your life, understand?” She read. “Gaurd this, guard what?” Mio seating up, then standing, placing his paws on Ihisil chest, he barks then licks her face. “Okay, okay boy, what is it?” Going back to all fours Mio begins walking, after several limping steps, he sits and looks back over his shoulder. “No Mio, not that way, look there is the gate, that is the way to safety. Barking, Mio begins walking again, but not towards the gate. “What is it boy? Is your owner this way? Are they hurt?”

After several hours of walking Mio sits next to a door to a crumbling building. “In there? That place is about to fall down, we can’t go in there.” Barking, Mio limps inside. “Am i crazy? I am following a dog into a bombed out building. I could have been through the gates long ago, I could have been safe by now.” Sighing Ihisil walks through the door. Ihisil gasps, she has entered a cave, not a building, brightly lite by touches on the walls, and a fire 30 or 40 yards ahead. All of the flames produced light and heat, but no smoke. “I must have hit my head or have an infection, this can not be real.”

“Oh no Ihisil, this is very real” a voice replied back to her. Startled Ihisil pulls her weapon and searches for the source of the voice. “H-how is there?” She stutters. The voice, with no sound of concern replies, “There is no need for a weapon, we will not harm you. You are here to save us.” Mio, runs towards the voice, “Mio, no.” Ihisil shouts. To her wonder, Mio sit next to the fire and barks back towards Ihisil, a form appearing next to him, having been obscured by the flames. “Is had your dog?” Ihisil asks. “No longer is he mine, Mio, as you call him is now yours, he is your protector.” “I don’t understand, protector, why do I need a protector?” “You, Ihisil are our savior”

Lionsser, as Ihisil had learned the man’s name spoke. “He follows you, you must have read the message.” “What message?” Ihisil asks. “You mean, Guard this with your life, understand?” “Yes, but that is not what it says. Of all the people on this world, you alone can read the message.” “Me? I don’t understand, it was in our language, why would I be the only one?” “But, it was not in your language until you touched the buckle, no one else could have done that.” Looking at the collar Ihisil said, “what did you mean that what I read is not what it says?” Lionsser hold a hand out to Mio, “come boy” he says. Mio walks over and sits down. Lionsser removes the collar and pours water over it, “the word “this” is nowhere in the message.” Lionsser passes the collar back and Ihisil reads it again. With the dirt cleaned from the collar she gasps at what is written. Instead of seeing the word this, it is her name written there. She reads the message out loud, “Gaurd Ihisil with your life, understand?” Mio barks and comes to sit with Ihisil. “You see,” says Lionsser, “the message was not to you, but for you to read to Mio. It is his destiny to protect you. Just as it is your destiny to save us all.