Free SHIAM Conspiracy- Book 1 by Joseph Heck

night he had found the dog near
the Serpent River. She had only been a pup at the time, nothing
more than a dirty mottled little fur ball, abandoned and in rough
shape. As Ke’aira grew, she became more and more obsessive over the
nightly walks, not giving Zak a moments peace until he opened the
lift and they headed out the door.
    Zak knew even a loft-size apartment wasn’t
the best home for her. He had never planned on owning a dog, though
even now he didn’t feel that he actually owned her. They
were companions. When he found her, he had intended to keep her
only long enough to nurse her back to health and then give her up
for adoption. That was two years ago. Now, he could not imagine
life without her.
    She’d grown into a very solid specimen of her
breed. Her strong shoulders, muscular neck and deep chest were
classic to the Elvish Wilderdog. Her coat was a mottled patchwork
of blue-grey and black, pure white on her chest, belly and paws
with copper spats on each of her four legs. The shaggy camouflage
complimented her excellent hunting skills. She was a beautiful dog
by any standards. But Zak’s pride came more from the bond they
shared than from her classic purebred appearance. Ke’aira offered
him her undying love, something that he had only ever felt from his
mother before she died, and that had been a very long time ago.
    He scratched affectionately behind the dog’s
ears once more and she accepted it gracefully. The bark that
followed told him to hurry up with the shower and let’s get going.
Her impatience eased his concern over her nervousness. Whatever had
been bothering her, she didn’t find it serious enough to interfere
with their nightly walk.
    “Okay, let me take a quick shower and change,
and then we’ll go.” He had to force his aching body into motion,
but the thought of cancelling their walk never entered his mind.
This was his commitment to Ke’aira.
    Zak had turned the spacious fourth floor loft
literally into a greenhouse. Amaryllis, Begonias, Avocado,
Caladium, Dwarf Climbers, Elfin Lilies, Dragon Sprouts, and even
some species of small trees; a multitude of plant-life turned the
expanse of the loft into a jungle of color, more than filling the
empty spaces between the limited furniture.
    While the only room built into the apartment
was the bathroom at the far end of the loft, it was still necessary
to navigate around the clusters of dense vegetation that formed
living walls separating the various areas. It was time consuming
for Zak to care for all this plant-life, but the rich fragrances
permeating the air was pleasing to the senses and well worth the
effort.
    The only significant open space in the entire
loft was the regulation size basketball court he had constructed
against the back wall. He walked across the hardwood court,
dripping rain water on the highly waxed finish as he made his way
for the shower. Ke’aira kept pace with him, her nails tapping a
steady rhythm as she walked at his side. The warm water stung his
bruised jaw, but felt revitalizing just the same. He applied a
herbal cream to his jaw after. It was one of the few things Elvish that Zak accepted, but only because its healing
properties were superior to anything he could find at an Aragne
pharmacy.
    Ke’aira was waiting for him just outside the
bathroom. As he moved to his sleeping area, she again positioned
herself where she could keep a discrete eye on her master. She
remained patient as she monitored Zak’s progress with dressing and
preparing himself for their expedition, only becoming excited again
when he finally said, “Okay, guess we’re good to go.”
    Jumping up, she raced for the elevator door,
where she began prancing in a tight circle waiting for him to catch
up and open the lift gate. He was pleased to see her enthusiasm had
fully returned. Whatever had been bothering her evidently was no
longer a concern.
    Luck was with him when they reached the
sidewalk. The rain had slacked off to a light