A Short Stay

 is the first chapter of Wolf's rain (manga) Volume 1.

Summary

 * A voice narrates the notion of Paradise, describing his drive to seek it and scent of flowers out, despite it possibly not existing. As the voice describes this, bloody paw prints lead towards a city as the snow falls.


 * Under the shelter of a large tree, a gang of humans comes across a huge dog. They discuss what they should do with it, considering selling it or even eating it. However, one of the gang members, Tsume, notices that it is in fact not a dog. He has two members of his gang drag the beast out, but it attacks them, killing one of them. The gang is shocked by the display as the white dog stares down Gehl, but Tsume pushes the group member and runs off, with the beast in pursuit of him.


 * Tsume confronts the white wolf, explaining that in the city there are rules. The wolf comments about him siding with humans and hiding his true self, noticing that Tsume is also a wolf. The gray wolf explains he is simply using the humans for his own gain, but the two remain argumental. They engage in a short scuffle, spilling blood which somewherelse in the city, has a dog startle, alerting their owner to their nearby fight. In a lab, a girl awakens as well, leaving lab assistants to alert Dr. Degré to this fact. Back with the white wolf and Tsume, Gel has followed his gang leader and finds the man alone atop a roof. He tries to tend to his elder, but Tsmue shakes him off and shows his true nature regarding his gang.


 * The white wolf saunters off, walking the city's streets. As he does, onlookers are shocked by his appearance. A gunshot fires, having come from the wolf hunter and his dog, Blue. The hunter lands a clean shot on the white wolf as sirens sound in the distance. Meanwhile, Dr. Degré and her assistants record the new data regarding Cheza. She notes that her reaction is brought upon by wolf's blood, and that it must mean a wolf has appeared. This, however, is shut down as the Dr. explains that the data suggesting that hasn't been proven correct and that Cheza's existance is the result of past scholars.


 * In the prison, the hunter is interviewed by a pair of detectives. One identifies the hunter as Quent Yaiden, a police officer of Kyrios. Quent dodges the detective's question, instead asking after the wolf he had shot. One of the detectives explains that they will deal with the "dog", making Quent argue about its true identity as a wolf, confusing the head detective. Quent explains that it is beleived wolves had gone extinct nearly 200 years, but that they are still around due to an ability to confuse the human eye. While he is being interigated, the white wolf lays in a cage as he is approached by another wolf wearing a collar. The collared wolf speaks with him, stating he'd never seen a wolf get captured so badly before. The white animal explains he is just resting and asks why the other is there. The darker wolf tells him he had scented something was going to happen.


 * As they talk, someone walks in and the darker wolf disguises himself to avoid being found. The white wolf questions the act and is told that by being in their natural form, they attract too much unwanted attention from humans. The white wolf remarks to the collared animal that he must have no pride as a wolf to do so. This intrigues the other and he introduces himself as Hige and asks after the white wolf's name, but he is met by silence initially. To Hige's surprise, his companion shifts to his human diguise, but defends his pride, stating that he should do what he needs to survive.


 * Meanwhile, Tsume organizes his gang for that night's raid. Gehl asks if they're using the same plan from that day. That comment has gang members questioning what they should do as they note that security has been amped up and that one gang member was killed by the dog and Tsume was injured. However, Tsume remains firm in going ahead with his plan, stating that those that don't join in will have go without food. This has everyone reconsider their stance and decide to join in on that night's mission. Tsume assigns Gehl as their backup as the gang prepares to start their raid.

Differences to anime

 * In City of Howls, Kiba is shown to kill both members of Tsume's gang that approach him. However, in , he only kills one.