Church

Other strays have come to call him ‘Church’ after the old dilapidated church he calls his territory. He doesn’t consider this a true name, but he goes by it regardless. Church is a bit of a loner, and it’s unclear if this has anything to do with trust or lack thereof. He prefers to be on the offense, and may come across as blunt, uncaring, impudent and annoyed, but deep down he does have a far more approachable side. Church just finds it easy to put his emotions aside when it comes to doing what needs to be done. He has the aloofness of the Akita, the stubbornness of the Siberian Husky, yet the reliability of the Golden Retriever..

Backstory
When Felix, a pet Golden Retriever, had a chance encounter with a mysterious stray dog in his backyard, a litter of three was soon to follow. Born in an old dilapidated church located in the city, the stray mother struggled to support her small family alone, until instinct drove her to abandon the pups in order to insure her own survival. Now on their own, the male pup took it upon himself to watch over his two sisters and keep the family together. His elder sister, however, had the same wandering tendencies as her mother. She left the shelter of the church to find a place where she could feel like she belongs, prompting her to join the four largest dog packs around. Her younger brother and sister unwillingly followed her from pack to pack, trying to keep her out of trouble, learning the ways of each during their stays: loyalty from Komainu, strength from Cerberus and cunning from Labolas.

When the brother was eventually captured and thrown into the pound, he was deemed unfit for adoption due to his feral behavior and scheduled for euthanasia. He managed to escape by chewing his way through the fencing of the kennel, permanently scarring the inside of his mouth and tongue. He returned to Labolas to find that his sister had already left to join Barghest, a pack that values courage and known for their reckless abandon. The brother and younger sister followed, determined to end this escapade and bring their wayward sibling back home to the church before she could get hurt. She argued that the church wasn't a real home, and that they were still invisible unless they could truly belong somewhere. She continued training in Barghest, this time unaccompanied by her siblings who backed out due to fear. Unfortunately, during the training she was struck and killed by a car. The brother and his surviving sister returned heavy-hearted to the church.

The whole journey had prompted him to come to a decision. His sister wasn't wrong. Their whole lives they were unwanted, invisible to the world, and never had a sense of truly belonging anywhere because no pack of street dogs could ever fulfill this. He felt he'd been selfish to drag his surviving sister through the struggle of life as a stray just to keep the family together, when the only true answer for a life of safety, happiness and belonging was to be adopted by a human family. He allowed her to be taken in by a young woman, but felt he wasn't ready himself and stayed behind, still too haunted by being deemed 'unfit for adoption' during his stay in the pound.

Chapter 1
Many months later, the young feral that lives alone has been dubbed 'Church' by other local strays. He fiercely defends his territory, refusing to pack-up with anyone, preferring to rely on himself. One night during a thunderstorm, another dog ran into the old church seeking shelter from the rain. Church tried to drive him off aggressively, but eventually yielded and allowed the stranger to stay, but only for one night. Church soon realized that Angel had been watching him since that night, hoping to have a chance at staying if he offered his service.