[ WP ] In the canine world , humans are celestial beings who live for more than 500 years at a time . The caretaker of you and the past seven generations of your family will die soon .

`` But are you sure the Master will be ok?'' 
 
 My pack sister stared at me, nervous and frightened. It had been three days since the Master had left our home, leaving inside the humans metal beast that ran faster than any bird could fly. It was known by all dogs that humans could live for many generations, sometimes for seven or more. Such was the way with our Master. My mother's mother told stories of her grandfathers mother growing with our Master as pups, but we had only known him as the slow but loving human he is today. My pack sister barked again impatiently, and I was drawn from my reverie. 
 
 `` The Master will be fine,'' I growled, making my aggravation for her incessant worrying known `` he has survived the blood fields and fire rain. This sickness inside will not be his end.'' This seemed to calm her for a moment, her ears raised back up and her tail slowed its fearful wagging. 
 
 `` Beware!'' barked Alpha, his massive frame rising from then ground, `` There are humans in our land!'' 
 My pack sisters rose frantically, barking up a storm as they propelled themselves to the opening wall. Our Masters Pup came in through the opening wall, bringing with her her own pups, and their pups as well, the smell of cleaning sprays and dead things heavy on their removable fur. Alpha bowled into Masters Pup's daughter, she had barely been more than a pup when he had been brought from a world of cages and fear into our home, and they had spent much of their time together. 
 
 Slowly i pushed my way into the greeting; my joints ached from the strain of keeping my body up, but I had grown old, very old by our standards. So had our master, but I could not smell him on their skin or removable fur, only the smell of clean and death. Their eyes were red as we licked them, and their cheeks tasted of salt. Humans do this when they ate sad, its their way of coping. They spoke in great sobs as they scratched us, saying words of theirs. A few of them I knew, and I knew more words than any of my pack sisters even more words than our Alpha. They said words like `` come'', `` walk'', `` good dogs'' `` gone''. Their voices broke when they said their word for master `` Rick'', barely able to get the noise out, but my ears were still very sharp. They were grabbing our neck-lines even as fresh salt-water began to form around their eyes and sobs racked their bodies. 
 
 Our humans led us to the metal beast, silent but blasting heat around itself into the frigid air. We got in as it roared to life and we went very fast towards the sun. My young pack sisters were overjoyed to stick their noses into the rapid winds to smell the world in snippets, and even our Alpha bit at the air as we flew across the land, but i remained in the back. The metal beast had always made me queasy as we flew, its awesome speed pulled on my stomach and I had to try very hard not to lose it and make the humans clean up my mess. Plus, something was deeply wrong. Our humans could not say their father's name, as I could not say my mothers after she stopped breathing and was buried next to her mother on our land. The Master could not have stopped breathing, it was to soon in his incredible lifespan. Many humans lived for seven generations, and ours was only the sixth. Surely it was too soon? 
 
 Then we slowed and turned onto a hill. I almost lost my stomach on that turn, the lurching so sudden I tipped over into Alpha, but he was nearly twice my size and helped me right myself. The door opened and we were assaulted by smells of flesh and blood and feces, all muted by a viceral chemical that burned my nose. The beast stopped, and we exited, Alpha being the first after the humans, and I being the last, my old legs threatening to fall beneath me as I landed into the hard black stone. Alpha stopped and waited for me to catch up, looking at me with a deep sadness in his eyes, and suddenly I knew. He knew it as well, and wanted to pay me the respect owed to the oldest pack member. Our Master was dying, and I had spent the most time with him, it was only right for me to give the first good bye lick, but oh I did not want to. Suddenly I felt old, like all of my nearly twenty winters had happened all at the same time, and I did not want to enter this great home of death and chemicals. But my Master's Pup pulled gently on my leash and I obeyed. 
 
 We came into our Masters room, and there he was hooked to many whirring beasts with long tongues, hooking into his wrists and chest. His eyes opened dully as he saw his family, but they glowed like embers with a gentle breath of air, and a smile eclipsed his face. His body was dying, I could smell it beginning to fail even as his breathing rattled and slowed and his heart beat erratically. Wearily I brought my head to rest next to his hand, the hand that had held me before I could open my eyes, the hand that brought me such wonderful treats and excellent scratches, the hand that was now cold upon my tongue as I licked it gently. He scratched my eat weakly as the others began to push their way in. Master coughed and spoke words, many I could understand, but a few I could n't. 
 
 `` It's my time, pups. You've been good to me, but now I need you to be good to my Sophie. She's gon na need all of the love she can get, ya hear?'' 
 
 I did hear, Master had given us a new order, be good to Sophie, take a new Master. 
 
 But I did n't want a new Master.
