With the limp little pup dangling from his jaws, Arclyle continued sprinting across the hot sand as fast as his legs could carry him. His mask kept the sun out of his eyes, but didn't help much with the overbearing heat plaguing both him and the little blue puppy in his mouth. He'd been running for several hours non-stop in search of shade, water, or, as unlikely as it seemed, any sign of civilization. As the overwhelming urge to pant crushed him, he stopped and dropped Qinche, who rolled down a small sand dune in his half-dazed state.

Qinche shook himself off and trotted back up to where Arclyle had collapsed, looking at his master worriedly. He licked at his master's face with his little pink tongue, hoping to encourage him to go a few more miles before sunset. ''Master, we must continue...'' he begged, nudging Arclyle uselessly with his nose. Finally, he gave up and plopped down in the sand, watching his master and leaving him to his thoughts.

Arclyle knew Qinche was right, but a small rest wouldn't kill anyone, would it? Just as the thought moved to the front of his mind, a faint hissing noise began leaking from a nearby sand dune. Arclyle leapt to his feet and swept Qinche behind his hind legs with one pass of his massive forepaw, facing the hissing dune with his hackles raised and ears perked forward. He snorted when a small, newborn Cobrall wiggled its way out of the orange sand and hissed at them both. Arclyle snapped his teeth at the little devil and it weasled back into the sand without incident.

Qinche peeked out from behind Arclyle's leg and waited until the snake was underneath the sand before running at its tiny hole, barking in his high-pitched voice. He growled and began digging at the hole, stopping when something firm was dislodged. Qinche perked up one ear and sniffed at the rock-like item, licking it once.

Arclyle raised an eyebrow and nudged Qinche out of the way, sniffing at the item. His eyes widened and he howled loudly, tipping his head all the way back. He stopped when Qinche nipped at his ankles to get his attention and looked down at the pup. "It's smells of humans, Qinche. We're close to humans," he explained quickly, shoving his nose through the gold chain hanging from the red medallion. He bent his head to let Qinche smell the aroma of hope before scooping him up in his teeth and sprinting away towards the seemingly endless space ahead of them.

It took another 3 hours, but finally, a large, bustling city came into view. Arcyle picked up speed and galloped toward the town, slowing his pace when he felt cement blocks beneath his feet. "Come Qinche, and stay close," he warned, setting down his pup and trotting lazily into the city. People passed by the obviously rogue Lupe without so much as a second glance. Living in a rural area, it was normal to see unowned pets wandering about. Arclyle finally stopped beside a sunken concrete patch where rain water had accumulated. He set Qinche down and they both drank quickly, filling their empty stomachs with water as fast as possible.

From across the path dividing the multiple buildings, a young woman watched the lone Lupe and his petpet drinking with enthusiasm. Her heart went out to the little dear and she dug around in her canvas bag until she felt a few sausages in her hand. She pulled them out and smoothly walked through the bustling crowd where the two were drinking. Stopping a yard away, she knelt down on one knee and pushed the hood of her robe back, letting her purple-tinted hair fall forward around her face as she held out her sausage-filled hand.

Arclyle's head snapped up as grit crunched beneath the stranger's feet and he growled instinctively, once again placing himself between Qinche and the threat. His lips lowered over his bared teeth as he assessed the girl's unobtrusive stance and his nose detected the food she was offering. Her smile made his posture relax and he smiled at her, bowing his head in thanks. "I thank you miss...?" he trailed off, obviously wanting to be properly acquainted with her.

Her pale skin reddened a little as she blushed and smiled wider, "Charlie. And it's my pleasure mister...?" She trailed off in the same manner Arclyle had, a little mocking in her tone.

Arcyle chuckled and gave her a full bow, "Arclyle." He smiled back at her and sat down in a relaxed manner, dividing the sausages she set down in front of him into two seperate piles.

They sat for a long time around the sunken concrete, talking about themselves and their situations. When it began to get dark and Charlie's phone vibrated in her pocket, a warning to get home before nightfall, she stood up. "Arclyle, it is not in my nature to leave someone out on their own. It's due to be very cold and I would be grateful if you and Qinche would follow me to my home for the night at least," she said, obviously in no mood to be alone.

Arclyle looked away from Charlie's hopeful face, casting his eyes down to Qinche, who was asleep at his feet. The pup's chest heaved heavily as he slept and panted simultaneously. Dirt had stunk to place on his dark blue fur and Arclyle sighed, knowing shelter was crucial. "Very well, Charlie, we shall accompany you." With that, he picked up Qinche's limp body and trotted along beside Charlie, heading towards what would become his permanent abode.

(Here's the image)
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h13/ARF_05/krawkpicture.gif
And the code.