NP
Word Count → 417
As fate may have it, both Kiara and Neela were approximately the same size; although Kiara had the upper hand in terms of weight. Like most her breed, Kiara was short and stocky. The large muscles in her back and neck made the arctic wolf look almost like a secui. Her sheer weight gave Kiara the advantage of Neela as the two canines wrestled in the snow. Kiara could feel the collie's body pitch as Neela tried to throw the snow wolf off. Kiara's hind legs danced a little in response, but she held her grip on the red ears for a minute longer.
Neela's final attempt to shake the alabaster woman succeeded. Kiara's grip loosened on her ears and she was thrown into the snow. Kiara scrambled to get up, running into the nearest building for cover. The door was broken and had partially obscured the entrance. Kiara was able to squeeze through the opening, but she could feel the wood scrape across her back. The broken door might have injured Kiara if it weren't for her thick winter coat. The building Kiara had entered was an old furniture store. There were ruined pieces on display, entire living rooms and kitchen set out for humans to view. Directly in front of the door was a beautiful counter that housed an old cash register and computer. On the floor was a chandelier that had fallen, it's ornamental prisms spread over the floor.
Kiara looked around quickly, trying to find a place to hide. Off in the back corner of the room was a kitchen display that hosted an island. The snow wolf scampered to the other side of the island and waited for Neela to enter. Although the building was stable, it showed signs of aging. The floors creaked as Kiara ran and in many places the wood had warped to form peaks and valleys. The stench of mold engulfed the entire building and drowned out Kiara's sense of smell. The smell was powerful, but not horrendous.
No more than a minute had passed since Kiara entered the old shop, but it was enough time for her mind to wander from the game. The Ikusei's thoughts turned back to Sarian and her original purpose for coming to the city. She was supposed to be looking for something that Sarian could play with. Perhaps one of the faded pillows might still be worth something. Once this game of tag was over, Kiara would have to check them out.
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