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Post by jaggedstar on Jul 17, 2008 15:41:45 GMT -5
I am currently writing a novel, although I am too lazy to give a summary ;D. Read it and tell me what you think of it, if you would like. I would appreciate the critizism to help make my story better.
Also, the chapters may be short because there are going to be a ton of chapters, and some may be long because they have alot going on in them.
Prologue: The moon glimmered coldly in the frosty, inky sky above. An enormous, black wolf paced impatiently across the black and white tiled floor, her cold, white eyes scorching in the darkness of the room. The tall, glass windows that surrounded her allowed long beams of moonlight to enter the room, casting silver patterns across the floor. Suddenly, the black wolf heard something. She lifted her head and narrowed her eyes, watching as the enormous wooden doors flew open and two large creatures came into the room, dragging a bleeding, wounded person between them. The black wolf grinned maliciously, leaping onto her black, spikey throne that was stained with the blood of her victims. "Ronan, Glorik, what have you brought me?" The black wolf asked quietly, her white eyes burning into the person the two creatures held between them. "A war prisoner," Ronan replied, his voice deep and rough. "He was helping our enemies lead an attack on our troops." The large, gray skinned creature thrust the person across the floor, where he slid up to the base of the throne. The black wolf was silent for a moment, looking down at the battered person and narrowing her eyes. "These are heavy crimes," she growled. "A traitorous enemy such as this only deserves the worst punishment we can give him." "You're the enemy, not I," he said, gasping for air and glaring in defiance up at the black wolf. The black wolf growled, standing up in her throne so that she looked twice her size. "Do you want to die today?" She growled, placing a paw on the person's side and begining to press down. Suddenly, the black wolf stopped, looking up and staring at something unseen, narrowing her eyes in pure anger. She lifted her massive paw off of the person, staring down at her claws. "I'll spare your life," she growled, placing her paw down again. Her gray skinned guards looked shocked, but said nothing. "If you give me something in return." "What do you want?" The person asked weakly, looking up at the black wolf with bright, green eyes. "The Sword of Light has been unearthed," the wolf went on, closing her eyes briefly. "Bring me the sword and I will spare you your life...and no other people of your kind sha'll be harmed." "What's The Sword of Light?" The person asked, only to be silenced by a kick in the ribs from one of the guards. "Silence!" The black wolf exclaimed, baring her teeth. "You do not speak unless spoken to." She paused again. "Bring the sword, and the wolf that is made of flame, to me on the day of the solar eclipse, and I sha'll spare you your life." "But, if you are to fail," the black wolf went on after a moment's silence, a malicious gleam in her eyes. "I will kill you and all of your kind." The black wolf glared down at the person, her cold, white eyes reflecting what was not in the room; a sword; glowing silver and bright, and an enormous wolf running through a forest, with it's fur the color of flame. "Take him out of my sight," the black wolf ordered Ronan and Glorik, grinning to herself. She looked down at the person again, and the grin vanished. "Remember, bring them to me on the day of the solar eclipse, and you will not be harmed."
Chapter One: A Capture The moon cast silvery streams of light in from the holes in the roof, casting silver, dappled patterns across the earth floor. The air felt crisp and cool, and a gentle, breathing breeze wove it’s way through the corridor from somewhere ahead. I ducked my head slightly to avoid ramming it against the low hanging entrance-way, pushing myself out onto the top of the hill where the breeze was blowing in from. Slowly, I picked my way across the green grass, leaping over a crumbled mound of ruins that lay in my path. “How is she, Arcani?” I asked in a quiet tone, padding over to the large, white wolf that sat beneath an ancient, stone archway covered with tendrils of ivy. The wolf slowly turned his head and looked at me, the distinctive red markings on his face and neck rippling with his fur as he did so. “Rain is doing much better,” Arcani said, his voice deep and rumbling like an echo of thunder. “I have done all I can with my powers. Now all she needs is rest.” “That is good to hear,” I replied, sitting down next to the great white wolf. He let out a quiet sigh and looked up at the stars. “These are hard times that have fallen upon us,” Arcani rumbled; his sad, crimson eyes reflecting the moon and making them look silver. “The Trackers seem to have no respect for the world…or for us.” “They don’t,” I reminded him, my voice a slight snarl at the sound of those two words. The Trackers were a large group of humans that had just recently discovered the sacred ruins in which my pack lived. Since then, they had been attacking the pack, leaving many, like Rain, with serious injuries. At the same time, The Trackers were destroying the forests that grew around us to make room for their camps. There was nothing we could do to stop them, even with our powers. There were simply too many of them. I glanced over at Arcani. He was the oldest, wisest wolf in the pack, and the leader of it as well. I knew how anxious he was about The Trackers; constantly worrying that one of his wolves would end up injured again, or maybe even killed. I shared the white wolf’s worries, and wondered if there was anything we could do about The Trackers. No ideas came to mind. "Perhaps the Great Spirits will help us," I suggested, following Arcani's gaze to the glimmering, frost-like stars. "Have you recieved any signs from them?" Arcani shook his snow white head. "Not even a whisper," he admitted. "I believe that the Great Spirits want us to do this on our own. After all, we were put here to be the guardians of the earth; to keep peace amongst ourselves and with the rest of the world; to resolve the problems going on around us as well as within ourselves." I nodded. "But surely-" I never finished. "Arcani! Arcani!" A young voice split through the air, followed by the thud of heavy pawsteps. Arcani instantly leapt to his paws, bounding across the grass to meet with the young brown wolf that came leaping over the ruins towards us. He looked shaken, and afraid. "What is it, Clay?" Arcani asked, steadying the young wolf by placing a massive paw on his brown shoulder. "Speak!" I raced over to Arcani's side, the fur on my shoulders bristling to twice their normal size. I had an idea as to what Clay was about to say. "It's Wind! They caught him!" "Who caught him?" Arcani demanded, his crimson eyes suddenly widening. "The Trackers," Clay whimpered. "Wind and I were hunting by the Little Creek when The Trackers started to tear down the forest. They caught Wind and dragged him away!" "Blaze, come with me," Arcani growled, his voice mixed with both furiosity and fear. "Clay, stay here and warn the rest of the pack. No one is the leave the ruins." Clay nodded and bounded away, slithering into the corridor that I had just emerged from. "So what's the plan?" I asked Arcani, leaping after him over the ruins and across the cold grass. "Are we going to rescue Wind?" "Yes, we must," Arcani snarled. "We cannot let The Trackers take our wolves without doing something about it." I nodded, narrowing my eyes and pushing forward faster. Sparks flew up from beneath my paws as I raced over the moss covered stone. Arcani and I slowed our pace as we approached the Little Creek in the broad oak forest. The whole place reeked of The Trackers and made me want to gag. Keeping quiet and walking as slow as I could now, I crept through the tall, shadow laden trees, although I knew that my glowing, flame colored coat would stick out among the shadowed bushes. Arcani was no better off; with his white pelt reflecting the light of the moon above. "I don't see The Trackers," I whispered, my ice blue eyes scanning the surrounding undergrowth. "Follow me," Arcani whispered back, jerking his head in the direction he wanted me to go. "There's something different..." His voice trailed off, and he stalked away through the trees, keeping as low to the ground as he possibly could with his massive size. I quickly followed, keeping my ears low and feeling a strong sense of danger. I suddenly felt afraid, but tried to look as brave as possible. Then, suddenly, the forest ended. I stopped in shock and stared, mouth gaping, at the swath of destruction that lay before my ice blue eyes. The forest that had once been there was completely destroyed. Trees were fallen for as far as I could see; their roots scratching at the night sky; the branches pressed cruelly into the earth. "This is...horrible," I whispered, walking slowly forward to get a better look at the devastated forest. I pulled myself atop a fallen tree, only to see more fallen trees before the fallen tree cracked and broke under my weight. I leapt off and bounded back to where Arcani stood. Arcani curled his lips in a snarl. "The Trackers must be stopped," he growled. "Come on. We have to find Wind." I found Wind's scent trail mingled with the scent of many Trackers as we headed through the forest again, along with the alarming scent of his blood. We followed the trail; noses pressed to the ground, until it eventually stopped at the entrance to a clearing in the forest. It looked like one of those camps The Trackers had been building. The small glow of a fire danced in the middle of the clearing. "This is the place," I snarled quietly, baring my teeth at the thought of ripping The Trackers' heads from their shoulders. "But I don't see Wind..." "Over here," Arcani growled from where he stood a few pawsteps away. "I can see him." I bounded over to him, pressing my belly to the ground to avoid being seen and peering through the glossy bushes. Wind was in the clearing, alright, surrounded by many of The Trackers. Wind was fighting viciously, snarling and snapping at any of The Trackers that were stupid enough to get too close. One of The Trackers even lay unmoving on the cold earth. There were long, brown ropes around Wind, and although he was bleeding heavily he would not stop fighting. His wings were covered in dreadful scratches, and one appeared to be broken. The Trackers around him shouted and pulled on the ropes as they fought for control of the enormous black wolf. "Arcani!" I whispered, my voice panicked and filled with fear. "They're going to kill him! We have to do something." Arcani hesitated for a moment. Then, he looked at me. "The fire that burns inside of you is brave yet foolish. We would get ourselves killed if we tried to rescue Wind with so many of The Trackers around." "You mean we're going to leave him here?" I exclaimed, angered and surprised by the response. "No," Arcani growled. "We will not leave Wind here. We just need to get more wolves. We can't do this on our own." "It will take too long to get to the ruins and back," I snarled. "He could be dead by the time we get back!" "I will not risk the life of one of my best warriors in such a foolish way," Arcani snapped. "Come. We must be quick if we wish to reach the ruins before dawn." I hesitated, staring at him for a moment. I couldn't tell if that was a compliment or not. Thoughts buzzed like a hive of angry bees through my mind. Arcani was right; we couldn't do this on our own. But I knew that if we left Wind here; he could die. With so few wolves in the Elite Pack as it was, we couldn't afford a death among our ranks. I looked over at Arcani, who was turning to bound away, then back into the clearing where Wind was struggling for his life. I knew what I had to do. An angry, furious snarl escape from my lungs. I turned away from Arcani and leapt over the undergrowth surrounding the camp, landing with a loud thud on the cold earth. The Trackers stopped instantly what they were doing and watched as I- a horse sized, glowing wolf- ran towards them. "Blaze!" Arcani's furious snarl erupted from somewhere behind me, but I ignored him. Approaching the small fire, I ran towards it, running right through it and catching the flames on my flame colored coat. The Trackers yelled in surprise and leapt out of my way, releasing Wind in their shock. I skidded to a stop, sparks flying from my paws, and leapt high into the air, sailing over one of The Trackers. When I landed, a tall wall of flames shot out from around me like a wave, knocking over the nearest Trackers. "Quick, Wind!" I exclaimed, running over to the young, bleeding wolf and nudging him to his paws with my muzzle. "Run!" "What are you doing here?" Wind asked, looking surprised. His voice was trembling, and he sounded weak. "Rescuing you!" Wind did not say anything more. I knew he was weak, and getting weaker as the moments passed, but I forced him to run as fast as he could back to the ruins. "Come on, Blaze!" Arcani snarled from where he had just decapitated a Tracker, The Trackers' blood staining his glistening, white teeth. "Get out of here!" "Right behind you!" I breathed, leaping out of the way of a few Trackers that tried to put a couple of ropes around me. Something sharp embedded into my shoulder and continued down to my hind-leg, but I ignored it, and raced through the trees after Arcani and Wind, my flaming pelt catching a few of the twigs I passed aflame. ~*~*~*~*~*~ The pale light of dawn stretched milky fingers across the sky by the time Arcani, Wind, and I finally made it back to the ruins. Wolves surrounded us as we approached, carefully tearing the ropes off of Wind and licking the wounds that covered his body and the blood from his pitch black fur. Arcani pulled ahead, leaping from ledge to ledge to the top of the arch he had been sitting under earlier that morning. The wolves turned to look at him, myself included, while two escorted Wind down into the Healing Den. "The Trackers have become more dangerous than they ever have," Arcani's deep, wise voice split through the ruins atop the hill. "They almost killed Wind, they injured Rain yesterday, and they sliced into Blaze." Quiet murmurings rippled through the crowd like a breath of wind. I turned to lick the long scratch that stretched across my flank, his words reminding me of the sharp object one of The Trackers had used to slice through my flesh. Arcani closed his eyes briefly before continuing. "And so, I have decided that we must go to war against The Trackers." There was complete silence. Then, a wolf in front of me spoke. "War? When the Great Spirits have always decreed that we keep peace? Certainly there must be another way?" "There is not," Arcani growled. "If we rid ourselves of The Trackers, as well as from other creatures across the land, then we will be bringing peace by going to war." Arcani looked down at me from atop the tall arch, seeming to draw strength from my icey gaze. I gave him a tiny nod, and he lifted his head again to the crowd. "I think the time has come to consult the Great Spirits. I will discuss this with the council," Arcani decided. "If we cannot come to an agreement, then we will fight."
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Post by Duskstar on Jul 18, 2008 8:04:42 GMT -5
Interesting... like.. in a good way XD. I liked it a lot. So, its like warriors, only with wolves who have powers? SWEET.
Nice Job!
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Post by jaggedstar on Jul 20, 2008 21:48:37 GMT -5
It's kind of like warrior's in the begining, but further in the story it will be completely different. Anyway, thanks! Hmmm...I think at the end of the first chapter I'm going to make them go to war against the Trackers instead of run...it'd be more interesting and go better with the plot. Chapter Two: The Council I followed Arcani down the long, winding corridor, feeling the breath of another wolf on my fur close behind me. Four more wolves followed just in my pawsteps, their fur caked with mud from nose to tail-tip, just as mine was. It was a tradition, stretching back for thousands of years, for the council to cover themselves with mud before presenting themselves before the Great Spirits. The mud represented honor, and respect. Soon, the stone corridor became a large, underground room shaped like a dome. The air in the room was cold, and water trickled from somewhere ahead, casting a tiny pool in the center of the dome-shaped room. The sun sliced in from a crack in the ceiling, hitting the water and making shivering slices of light dance around the room. Tendrils of ivy hung from the walls. Arcani walked around the pool, standing atop a large stone that rose towards the roof near the shivering water. The rest of the wolves sat down around the pool in silence. The cold, earth floor felt unnaturally cold against the heat of my flesh and fur. "The time has come to consult the Great Spirits," Arcani barked, his voice loud and clear like a crack of thunder. "In our greatest time of need, we call upon them to show us the path between right and wrong." "Spirits of the wind, the earth, the sun, and the moon," I chanted along with the five other wolves in the room. Arcani's voice was loudest among us, leading us in the chant. "We call upon you to show us our path; show us our destiny; show us what we should do." Then, the chant stopped. Complete silence filled the room. Arcani slowly extended his neck, reaching into the pool, which was suddenly rippling and turning an intense silver color. As Arcani's black nose touched the water, the intense silver bathed the cave in it's intense glow. The wolves around me looked like stones; with the mud caking their fur glowing silver in the light. Arcani lifted his nose from the water, suddenly glowing with the light of the moon and the stars. His eyes were completely silver, and his pelt was suddenly black and covered with starshine. "You have called for guidance," the black wolf spoke in a voice that did not belong to Arcani. "So I have come to deliver it to you." It's blank, silver eyes rested on me. I gulped and rose to my paws, feeling a bit nervous about speaking with one of the Great Spirits, who had just descended from the stars and possesed the body of our leader. "Yes, we need guidance," I began, then had to clear my throat before continuing. "The Trackers are growing stronger, and have hurt many of our wolves. They are destroying our forests and scaring off the prey. We are unsure whether to fight these demons or to run." The Great Spirit was silent for a moment. "I have watched all of this from the stars," it replied quietly; something like grief in it's waterfall-like voice. "There will be no peace on the Sacred Lands until they are destroyed." "Then do you think we should go to war with them?" I ventured, pricking my ears in interest. This was not the answer I had expected to hear. The starry wolf nodded. "Yes," it said. "The Trackers must be stopped. By destroying them, you will bring peace to yourselves as well as other creatures across the land. We placed you here to bring peace to the world, and that is what you must do." "That's what Arcani said," I murmured "Go forward with courage and faith," The Great Spirit went on. The Spirit was slowly begining to fade, it's voice echoing against the walls. "Stand strong, and stand together, and you will destroy this enemy." I watched the black wolf; watched as it lifted it's head to the crack in the ceiling. Then, a dark, silvery spirit spiraled into the air and shot through the long crack, leaving a trail of starshine that shimmered and danced into the pool below. Suddenly, Arcani was atop the rock, rising to his paws and looking drained of energy. "It seems our ancestors want us to fight," Arcani rasped as if he had heard the entire conversation. His crimson gaze swept across the five wolves sitting around the pool. "Freeze, what do you think of this?" His gaze rested on a light blue, almost white wolf that was cold to the touch. Freeze rose slowly to his paws. "I think that war is our only option," the icey wolf said, agreeing with the Great Spirit. "With our strength and powers, we must be able to destroy them." Arcani nodded. "The council must agree," he said. "How many of you wish to fight?" "I do," I spoke, remaining on my paws. Two others murmured their agreement, but one remained silent. "River?" Arcani asked. "What do you think?" "I don't know," the dark blue wolf said, her gray eyes looking thoughtful. "War seems like our only option at the moment, but what if we lose this war? Our wolves would be destroyed, and who would bring peace to the world then?" Arcani paused for a moment. "With the Great Spirits on our side, we cannot lose," he pointed out, his voice suddenly stronger from the rasp it had been. "Do you doubt the Great Spirits?" River was silent for a long while. "Then we fight," she muttered, looking down at her mud caked paws. "It seems like we have no other choice." "It's decided then," Arcani growled. "We go to war." The wolves around me nodded and growled in agreement. Arcani leapt off of the stone, sailing over the pool and over our heads, to the long corridor that lead out of the underground ruins. I quickly leapt after him, running through the darkness and feeling the dried mud fall off of my fur in clumps. Once outside the air seemed too bright, and I shut my eyes tight against the brightness. I opened them slowly, trying to get use to the light after the darkness of the dome, just in time to watch Arcani leap to the top of the arch and let out a long howl. "The council has come to a decision," Arcani barked before the wolves had even had a chance to sit down. I leapt onto a nearby rock that rose above the crowd, while the rest of the council did the same on the other four rocks surrounding the wolves. "We have decided to go to war. The Great Spirits have shown us the way, and with them on our side, we cannot lose this battle!" The wolves beneath me howled and barked in agreement, determination and revenge adding a spark to their eyes. Then, Freeze, the wolf next to me, lifted his head and howled into the sky, shooting out a ribbon of strange, liquid ice. I lifted my head and howled as well, along with the other members of the council. Ice, fire, water, lightning, and shadow came together into the sky, and from the ribbons of elements surged energy and strength into every wolf in the clearing. The surge of energy was so strong that it almost knocked me off of my paws, but I managed to keep my balance by scratching my claws into the rock. Arcani rose to his paws and the elements vanished. "Prepare for battle," he ordered. "We attack at sunset."
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Post by jaggedstar on Jul 21, 2008 0:07:06 GMT -5
Chapter Three: A Promise A few of the wolves; the youngest wolves, rose to their paws and vanished down entrances leading into the underground. I leapt from the stone I stood upon, landing among the wolves in the clearing that leapt to their paws as well. There was excitement in the air, as well as uncertainty. I knew that going to war would be dangerous, even with our powers. Some of us would not be coming back. "Blaze," Arcani's voice sounded from behind me. I turned my head, watching the great white wolf approach me. "I must speak with you." I slowly followed Arcani across the cool grass. I leapt atop a ruin that Arcani was seated upon, out of hearing from the rest of the wolves. "Yes, Arcani?" I asked, taking a seat atop the ivy covered ruin. "Wars are ugly affairs," Arcani spoke, staring ahead to the fluffy clouds that covered the horizon as the sun began to set beneath the distant mountains. "They kill many wolves, and have in the past." "They are," I agreed. "But the Great Spirits will be with us, as you said." Arcani nodded, slowly. I knew that he would never show this uncertainty around any of the wolves; only with me. "Even so, this is going to be dangerous," he went on. "I'm counting on you, Blaze, to help me lead these wolves into war, and fight with all the strength you have. We cannot leave the Sacred Lands just because The Trackers want to settle here. You are a great warrior, Blaze, and I have faith in you." "T-thank you, Arcani," I stammered, slightly surprised by the praise. "I promise that I will fight my hardest." Arcani nodded. "Good. Now come, we must prepare for battle." Back in the clearing, the youngest wolves were emerging with armour in their mouths. The armour was silver and reflected the sun, glinting and casting tiny rainbows on the surrounding ruins. Freeze's armour had shards of ice carved into his, while another wolf had bolts of lightning in hers. Mine had leaping flames glowing against the silver body armour, which felt warm when you touched them. The young wolf Clay approached me with my body armour, setting it on my back and adjusting it so that it fit snuggly. "Have courage, Clay," I murmured to the young wolf, noticing that his legs were trembling. "You'll be fine. You're shaping out into an excellent fighter." Clay looked up at me, his golden eyes shining. "Thank you, Blaze," the young wolf said, dipping his head to me before darting through the crowd. His head was held higher than it had been. I watched as the brown wolf melted into the crowd, then turned back to Arcani. But the wise wolf was already heading towards the crowd, towards a young wolf by the name of Hurricane who held his armour in her mouth, which was a bright red, just like the markings on Arcani's fur. I turned and padded through the crowd, already begining to feel hot underneath the silver, glinting armour. Clay was helping another wolf put her armour on, while his armour sat a few paces away. "Let me help you," I murmured, taking his silver armour in my mouth and placing it on his back. Clay allowed me to adjust the armour, standing still as I did so. "Thanks, Blaze," he said, then hesitated, looking down at his paws. "I may not of been able to prevent Wind from being captured, but now I have the chance to avenge him. I can show that I am worthy again." I looked down at the young brown wolf, who hung his head in shame. I knew that Clay blamed himself for his friend's capture, and always would. Sympathy for Clay welled up inside of me. "You will avenge him, and you are worthy. There are some things in this world that we cannot prevent. Wind's capture was one of those things; there were simply too many of The Trackers for you to take on on your own. Do not blame yourself for his capture. That doesn't matter now; he is home, and he is safe." I paused. "Would you like to go and see Wind before we leave?" Clay's eyes brightened. "Oh, yes please!" He exclaimed. Clay knew as well as I that only council members could check on wolves in the healing den. Now might be Clay's only chance to see his friend. I turned and headed down a long, dark entrance way hidden by a glossy-leaved bush and a curtain of ivy. It was rather hard for Clay and I to squeeze through the narrow entrance way, but once inside the tunnel widened and became taller. Darkness soon engulfed us; and the only thing lighting the way was the pale, orange glow that eminated from my fur. The tunnel soon widened into a large, underground room that looked much like the dome-shaped room. Tendrils of ivy clung to the walls, and large nests of grass and moss lined the edge of the room, some fit snuggly in between mounds of rocks and ruins. Two of the nests were occupied; one with Rain, and one with Wind. Clay stared over at his friend for a moment, a shadow of unhappiness on his face. I knew he had reason to be unhappy. Wind was covered in dreadful scratches and scars from the ropes. Fortunately, his wings, although covered with deep wounds, were not broken. Wind would survive, Arcani had told me, he just needed rest. "Wind?" Clay asked, walking hesitantly over to his sleeping friend and nudging him gently with his muzzle. "Are you awake?" Wind was still for a moment. Then, his eyes opened, and he looked over at Clay. "Hello, Clay," Wind rasped, attempting to push himself into a sitting position. "What are you doing here?" "I brought him here," I explained, padding a few pawsteps towards Wind and Clay. "He wishes to speak with you." Wind nodded, slowly. "What's going on?" Wind demanded, suddenly realizing the armour that Clay and I wore. "Why are you wearing your armour?" "We're going to war," Clay explained, giving me an uneasy glance. "We're going to fight The Trackers." "War," Wind echoed. He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, you aren't going without me. I'm going too." "Not a chance, Wind," I growled, taking a step towards the black wolf. "You haven't even started to recover yet. You are too weak to go into war just yet. You're staying here." Wind's eyes blazed for a moment, as if he would have liked to argue. But he did not, just dipped his head and looked angrily down at his paws. No one dared to argue with one of the council members. "So you will be fighting?" Wind asked Clay, looking back at his friend. "Yes," Clay murmured. "Go carefuly," Wind responded. "Those Trackers are a tough enemy, despite their puny size." "I will, I promise," Clay promised, pushing his nose into his friend's fur. "Don't you worry about that." "We need to get going," I reminded Clay, turning towards the tunnel entrance. "The others will be leaving for battle." "Goodbye, Wind," Clay said, pulling away from his friend. "Don't get killed!" Wind called after the young brown wolf with something like amusement in his voice. Clay nodded, looking uncertain, before following me back out into the warm, golden air as the sun began to set.
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Post by jaggedstar on Jul 21, 2008 15:19:54 GMT -5
Chapter Four: War Shadows began to stretch across the forest. Golden shafts of light sliced through the trees, and in the distance the sun was setting beneath the mountains. I crept through the trees with my belly fur brushing the ground, eyes alert and ears pricked for the merest sound. Behind me followed a long band of warriors; Freeze, River, Clay, and the yellow wolf Lightning among them. Arcani prowled at my side, his red armour glinting like a splash of blood against his white pelt. "When we reach The Tracker's camp," Arcani spoke to me in a quiet whisper, not taking his eyes off of the forest as he moved silently through the trees. "I want you to lead the second battle party, but do not join the fighting until you hear my howl." "Whom sha'll I take in my party?" I questioned, leaping over a fallen tree in my path. "It's your decision," Arcani said. He didn't say anything more. I hesitated for a moment. Usually Arcani did not allow me to choose my own party. I wasn't sure who to take. Soon, Arcani stopped, waving his tail to command the others to do the same. He stared down the steep slope to The Tracker's camp. It was silent, and only a few of The Trackers were out of their tents of deerskin. "This is the plan," Arcani turned to the wolves gathered behind him. "I will lead the first party in, and the second party is not to join the fighting until you hear my howl." "Freeze, Lightning, River, Hurricane, Thorn, and Clay will join my party," I continued, looking at each wolf as I named them. "The rest of you will join Arcani in the first party. Once every last Tracker has been destroyed in this camp, we will move onto the next camp until every Tracker has been destroyed." The wolves kneaded their paws in impatience on the cold ground, determination and expectancy clear in their brightly colored eyes. "Come quietly now," Arcani ordered his party. "We don't want to make it obvious that we are here. Don't give them a chance to prepare." The wolves in Arcani's party nodded. Then, slowly, they followed their leader down the slope and through the trees, keeping so silent I wouldn't have known they were there if I couldn't see them. "What do we do now?" Clay's anxious voice whispered at my shoulder. "We wait for Arcani's howl," I reminded the young wolf. Remembering that this was his first battle, I added: "Whatever happens, do not join the fighting until the rest of the party go down as well." Clay nodded, looking nervous yet determined. I turned my ice blue gaze back to the camp, laying down in a position that allowed me to remain unseen yet ready to spring down into the clearing at any moment. Arcani was just approaching the camp now, one stealthy paw after the other...then, he sprang at the nearest Tracker, ripping it's head clear off with his glistening white teeth. The other wolves in the party instantly leapt into battle, catching The Trackers by surprise. The sound of the six wolve's pawsteps sounded like a clap of thunder crackling through the sky. Beside me I heard Clay draw in a breath of surprise. I kept my gaze on the clearing below. Many of The Trackers were emerging from their tents; swords and other weapons in their hands. But The Trackers, I knew, were outmatched by the Elite Pack. A Tracker came flying through the air and crashed somewhere in the forest behind us. He did not get up, and I could tell that he was dead. Below, the white wolf Blizzard was fighting with many Trackers that swarmed her on all sides. Fierce, cold winds whipped around the white wolf, covering The Trackers in snow and freezing them to the spot. Not far away, the gray wolf Tornado was blowing a couple of Trackers across the ground with a strong wind that pulled the weapons out of The Tracker's clutches and sent the swords flying into The Trackers. Their blood stained the ground as they fell; their sharp, pointed swords driving into their bodies as the wind drove them in deeper. The scene was a rather gruesome one to watch. Blood and the scent of death filled the twilight air. I swiveled my gaze over to Arcani as Tornado leapt towards another group of Trackers. He was ripping through The Trackers like they were nothing; even though there were many arrows embedded into his flank. The blood of his enemies stained his teeth and white muzzle. Then, suddenly, The Trackers were fleeing the camp, their screams filling the air. Arcani's howl split through the sky like lightning. "Stop them!" Arcani growled. "Do not let them pass. We must rid the forest of the evil that lurks here." "That's the signal," I growled to my wolves. "Attack!" The wolves behind me surged up and over the hill, growling as they chased after The Trackers that tried to get away. I followed, with Clay hard on my paws. This is going to be an easy battle, I thought, chasing after a Tracker and catching him aflame, watching him until he burned to death. The Trackers are only human, after all. We're stronger than them. I leapt after another Tracker, snapping and growling at him, burning him like I had the last. The battle was easy now, with The Trackers fleeing rather than trying to defend themselves. I knew that it would not take long for the wolves to destroy every last Tracker. Suddenly, a howl sounded from behind me. "Look out, Blaze!" The voice belonged to Clay, who had just clawed a huge mound of earth out of the side of the slope and killed many Trackers. At first I could not understand what he was warning me about. Then, I realized what a moment too late. Dogs, atleast ten of them, ran at me with furious barks and snarls. I knew that they belonged to The Trackers; I had seen them hunting in the forest. They were stupid creatures, and should be easy to kill. The first one; a huge black dog, leapt at me and embedded it's teeth into my neck. I snarled angrily and prepared to bite into it's glossy, black flesh, only to have more dogs leap at me and bury me in a writhing mass of dogs. Suddenly, a wave of fire shot out from me, throwing the dogs up against the slope. Bleeding and feeling shredded, I leapt to my paws, leaping at the few dogs that hadn't run away or cracked their skulls. The dogs turned and ran away, whimpering, burns covering them from nose to tail-tip. Then, suddenly, the clearing was silent. Dead bodies of The Trackers lay everywhere, but no living Trackers were in sight. Panting, I looked around, feeling a small spark of triumph. But I knew that this was not even the begining of the war. There were still many, many Trackers to kill. "Head to the next camp," Arcani ordered to the wolves, most of them without so much as a scratch. "And search for any surviving Trackers. We cannot let them escape." "You're doing well," I murmured to Clay, racing to catch up with the young wolf as he bounded up the slope after the rest of the wolves. "I've never seen anyone take such a huge chunk of earth out of the ground." Clay looked slightly embaressed. "That's my power," he reminded me, trying to act as modest as he could. "And I've never seen another wolf do what you can with fire." I looked at the light brown wolf but said nothing, feeling the sparks shoot up from my paws as I ran. I have never seen another wolf do that either, I thought, narrowing my eyes and picking up the pace through the darkening forest. Freeze, who was only a few steps ahead of me, suddenly stopped. "Arcani!" He barked, stopping the great white wolf in his tracks. "Come and take a look at this." The icy wolf was sniffing at something I couldn't see in the bushes. Arcani padded over to the wolf's side and sniffed the ground, and the leaves on the bushes. "A scent trail," Arcani growled. "Of one of The Trackers. What about it?" "Smell it again," Freeze growled. "There is no wolf scent mingled with this Tracker's. That must mean that he escaped." Arcani sniffed the ground again, suddenly stiffening. "You're right," he snarled. "Quick, after him. We cannot let any of The Trackers escape." "What if he went and got help from the other Trackers?" Lightning asked fretfully. "He could of gathered more of The Trackers. They could be waiting to ambush us." "She could be right," I said, taking a few steps towards Arcani and Freeze. "We'd better be careful..." Then, suddenly, I heard a whizzing sound through the air. I pricked my ear curiously, then suddenly realized that flaming arrows were whizzing through the sky right towards us. "Look out!" I howled, leaping out of the way of an arrow that almost hit me in the side of the head. It was suddenly raining arrows of fire, which Blizzard froze before they could reach us, and Tornado blew away with a strong gust of wind that knocked me and Clay off of our paws. I gasped as another arrow whizzed for my head, but it burned into nothing but ash as I focused my intense gaze on it. "Ambush!" River spat, pointing with her muzzle through the forest. A few arrows had stabbed into her silver armour, but none had reached her flesh. I followed the blue wolf's gesture and froze. Lightning had been right; The Tracker had gone and warned the other Trackers. Many of them; hundreds of them, were running through the trees towards us, yelling angrily at the top of their lungs. And suddenly, fourteen wolves were faced with hundreds of Trackers. "Attack!" Arcani snarled, lunging at The Trackers without a moments hesitation. I rolled onto my paws, racing after Arcani with Freeze and Clay hot on my heels. I hit The Trackers head on, knocking a few over as I raced through them like they were nothing. Those that tried to stab me with their swords I would embed my teeth into their arm, flinging them away from me with a force that ripped the arm from the socket. Clay, only a few feet away from me, dug his claws into the earth, pulling hard and sending a wave of earth forward that knocked many of The Trackers to the ground. Some of them hit the nearby trees head first and did not get up. This is going to be easy! I thought, watching the wolves around me attack The Trackers; a strong wind blowing, snow flying through the air, ice covering the ground, lightning crackling through the trees, earth waving across the ground, blood staining the forest's leaves... I raced forward again, biting and burning The Trackers that surged towards me. Arcani fought not too far from me, performing his signature move; decapitation. The split second that I turned to watch Arcani fight cost me greatly. Suddenly, something long and sharp stabbed right through my chest. I opened my mouth in a silent exclamation of pain. One of The Trackers had stabbed right through me with his sword, right into the flesh just above my forelegs. I tried to walk forward, but I suddenly couldn't move. Blood began to run from the wound in my flesh, running in between my paws. I drew in a gasping breath, feeling another sword stab me in the flank. The pain was so intense, so fire-like that I couldn't move, couldn't breathe... Blackness began to sweep over my gaze. I dug my claws into the earth, feeling myself fall to the ground. I tried to get up, but found that I could not. I couldn't even move. I could not understand what was happening to me. I had only been stabbed with two swords, surely this shouldn't be happening to me? "Blaze!" A faint, echoing voice shouted my name. I thought the voice belonged to Arcani, though I couldn't be sure. The last thing I felt was the feel of my own blood soaking into my flame colored pelt, and the sound of wolves and Trackers fighting above me. Then, blackness swept over me, and there was nothing.
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Post by jaggedstar on Jul 26, 2008 10:29:27 GMT -5
Chapter Five: Imprisoned I felt sore. Everything was sore. There was sharp pain in my flank and chest, and I had a terrible head ache. The world felt like it were spinning around me. I shut my eyes tighter, trying to make the spinning stop. I felt dampness creep beneath me, along with cold, solid stone. Then, everything came flooding back to me at once. I blinked open my icy, blue eyes. I didn't recognize anything. I was in a small, cramped room, with a large door standing at one end of the room. A small, square window covered with bars sat high upon the door. Iron bars made up the two walls on either side of me, and through the darkness I could see other shapes sitting in the strange rooms. Where am I? I thought in confusion, blinking the blurriness from my eyes. I could remember the swords driving through me...but nothing after that. Am I a war prisoner? That seemed like the only logical explanation. My armour was gone, and I was crammed into a jail cell. Definately a war prisoner. "You're awake," a quiet voice drifted from the cell beside me. I lifted my head, staring through the iron bars to the figuire sitting in the other cell. It was an elf, sitting with his back propped up against the slimey, stone wall. He looked filthy and ragged, with many scratches here and there, with his clothes torn at the sleeves. His hair was the only thing perfect and clean about him; which was a dark, earth colored brown. "Who are you?" I growled, attempting to rise to my paws. But I couldn't, for the world began to spin again, and I lay back down again. "I'm Adam," the elf explained, turning his green gaze over to me. "And you are?" I ignored the question. "What is this place?" I asked, feeling anger well up inside me. "I shouldn't-can't be here. I need to go back to the war...my pack needs me..." "Steady," Adam warned, watching as I attempted to rise to my paws again. "You've been poisoned. I'd take it easy if I were you." "Poisoned? What do you mean?" I demanded, my eyes widening. "Those swords," Adam explained, shifting around so that he was facing me. "Were covered with poison. I know the effects of poison when I see them." I glared at the elf suspiciously. "Oh? And how do you know that I was stabbed with swords? Are you one of those Trackers?" "They were in you when you got here," Adam explained calmly. "And...err...I am not what you call a 'Tracker'." "Hmph," I snorted, not sure that I believed anything that Adam was telling me. I rested my head on my paws again, letting out a sigh. I had to admit, what he said made sense. The head ache, the weakness, the faintness, could all be because there was poison on those swords. But if there was poison inside of me, what was going to happen? Was I going to die without even knowing what had become of my pack? Had the pack chased off The Trackers? Were there others of the Elite Pack here? I lifted my head again, realizing I could hear a faint trickle, as if water were coming in from somewhere. I looked around the cell, and spotted a small, shallow pool of water in the corner of the cell closest to me. A small trickle of water was entering from a small hole near the roof. The small breeze that blew in smelled of rain. Slowly, I extended my neck towards the water, resting my head on the ground beside it and staring at the water. The water began rippling, then slowly began to boil. I certainly did not want to drink the water without disinfecting it first. Who knew what had been on that cell floor. Adam turned and watched me, looking curious. "How do you do that?" He asked, sounding slightly fascinated as he watched the water bubbling. "It's my power," I growled, rolling my eyes as if the answer were so obvious. "You are a very odd wolf," Adam observed, his voice quiet. I broke contact with the water, and it stopped bubbling. I cast Adam a cold glare. "What's that supposed to mean?" "I've just never seen a wolf as big as a horse...let alone one that glows." "Well I've never seen an elf before," I growled, pulling myself forward to lap up the few, small mouthfulls of water that lay in the puddle. "There's a first time for everything, I guess," Adam said with a shrug, watching me curiously. There was a long stretch of silence before Adam spoke again. "What are 'The Trackers'?" Adam asked, looking over into my cell again. "Must you know everything?" I muttered. "They're these group of humans that are trying to kill my pack. Satisfied?" Adam blinked, slowly. "That's a shame," he said quietly. "Are the wolves in your pack like you?" "If you mean do they have powers, then yes, they are like me," I said, staring down at my reflection in the small pool of water. "We were at war against The Trackers when I was captured and taken here. I don't know what happened to them." I looked up at Adam. "Do you think they would of taken any other of my pack here?" Adam hesitated. "Maybe," he admitted. "If they managed to catch any other wolves. But I-" Adam cut off suddenly, shuffeling to the far end of his cell and leaning against the wall, looking down at his lap. I lifted my ears curiously, wondering what that was all about. Then, I heard heavy footsteps on the stone floors. A door opened, the door in the cell on the other side of Adam, and a huge, un-human like creature stepped into the cell. The man sitting in that cell suddenly panicked, jumping to his feet. "No, no!" The man exclaimed as the creature grabbed him and began to drag him away. His cries of "no" echoed through the corridors. And then they were silent. "What was that all about?" I asked Adam in confusion. Adam hesitated. "They were taking him to the torture chamber." "Torture chamber?" I echoed. "What's that for." "They use it to torture war prisoners; to try and make them confess secrets about their armies, such as their weaknesses and strengths." "You mean...The Trackers are attacking more than just my pack?" I asked, surprised by this piece of news. Adam nodded solemnly. "They attacked my village," he explained. "That's why I'm here. I don't know what The Trackers are trying to do, but they've been declaring war on everyone, it seems." "So my pack aren't the only ones," I said in disbelief, realizing that The Trackers were more powerful than I had first thought. I hesitated. "I...I suppose they're going to put us in that torture chamber too, huh?" Adam shrugged. "Me, maybe," he admitted. "I'd like to see anyone try to make you go in there." "I'd burn the whole prison down," I muttered, pushing myself into a sitting position, feeling my pelt grow hotter at the thought. Reminded by the thought of my pack, I asked: "Do you know where they might of taken my armour?" "Probably in the Treasure Room on the lower level of the prison," he said, his green eyes flickering back to me. "They took some stuff of mine as well. I'm sure it's in there...if they haven't sold it already." "Why would they sell it?" I asked, tipping my head slightly to one side. "For gold, I guess," He shrugged. "But I had some herbs in my sack that would of expelled the poison from your bloodstream." Adam admitted. "I can't do anything to help you without those herbs." I suddenly felt sick. "How much time do I have left?" I asked hesitantly, flattening my ears. Adam did not respond for a moment. "I'd estimate before sunset...if that," he said solemnly. "How much pain are you in?" "Alot," I muttered. "I can't stand up without some sharp pain stabbing me somewhere." Adam looked almost sad. "We've got to get out of here," he said, suddenly jumping to his feet. "And we need to get out tonight." I nearly laughed. "How do you expect to do that?" I demanded. "Ask the guard nicely if we can leave?" "No," Adam growled. "But we need to find some way before you..." His voice faltered. "Anyway, I need to get my sword back before The Trackers can sell it." "Why?" I snorted. "It's just a sword." "It's not just a sword..." Adam's voice dropped into a quiet whisper, as if he were afraid of anyone else hearing but me. "It's...well...I'll tell you when we get out of here." "If we get out of here," I pointed out. "You have to face reality...there is no way out of here. We're just going to die in here." "No we aren't!" Adam yelled, suddenly sounding very angry. He cast a glare at me. "If we don't start thinking of a way out soon, you will die before the sun even sets beneath the horizon. Now quit being so negative, would you? We're both running out of time." The sick feeling entered my stomach again. The poison must be fairly powerful if it would kill me before sunset. I knew that the death would be a slow, painful one...which I didn't want to think about. I shook away the thought, then looked over at Adam in his cell. "So what's your plan?" I asked in a quiet tone. "See that hole?" He asked, pointing to the small, open hole that lead out into the dark sky where the water was trickling in from. "That hole must be a weak spot. Maybe with your powers, you could knock the wall down or something..." I snorted. "Yeah, right," I retorted. "Then we will drop a hundred feet to our deaths. And don't you think it would be a little stupid to leave and then have to go back in to get your stupid sword?" "That's why we hide out in the forest somewhere, then wait when the time is right to get it," Adam said impatiently. "I see nothing wrong with the plan." I sighed. "It's worth a shot," I admitted. "But I don't know if I'm strong enough to knock down a stone wall with this poison trying to kill me." "Here's an idea: hurry up," Adam suggested. I could tell he was loosing his patience. I glared at him. You can do this, Blaze, I thought with a shuddering sigh. I drew in a breath, slowly, one paw after the other, pushing myself into a standing position. I felt faint when I did so, but I knew that if I sat back down again I wouldn't be able to get up. I narrowed my eyes and looked up at the small hole in the corner of the cell. Could I create an explosion strong enough to knock the wall down? I was sure I could...but I knew that doing so could kill Adam before he even knew what had hit him. I couldn't do that; there had to be another way... Suddenly, the heavy footsteps sounded down the corridor. I swiveled my head around as they came closer and closer, watching in horror as the door to Adam's cell opened. Then, the creature came into his cell, with the blood of the other man staining his hands. The creature grabbed Adam, who looked back at me with one terrified glance before he was dragged off into the darkness and was gone.
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Post by jaggedstar on Jul 26, 2008 10:29:43 GMT -5
Chapter Six: A Race Against Time I stared at the empty cell Adam had been sitting in only a few moments before, my mouth gaping slightly. How could our plan have failed so miserably, only moments after we had planned it? The plan was completely and utterly ruined. Adam was going to be killed, and the poison was going to kill me because I wasn't going to be able to get my paws on Adam's herbs. Great Spirits what are you doing? I demanded angrily, clenching my teeth. Why were they letting this happen to me? Did they want me to die? And what about Adam? Didn't they care for him at all? Perhaps you can save him, a small voice in the deepest pit of my thoughts whispered. You can still knock the wall down. But what if I'm too late? I argued, staring down at my paws. What if they kill Adam before I find him? The voice, which I realized was only my thoughts, did not answer. "I guess it's worth a try," I muttered. "Besides, if I find Adam I have a small chance of surviving rather than none. It'll just be a race against time to find him, that's for sure." I sighed and turned around, facing the wall with the door. I might as well knock the door down instead of leaping a hundred feet to my death while trying to get back into the prison. Atleast Adam wasn't in the opposite cell, so there wasn't a chance that I could kill him with the force of the blast. I spread my legs further apart, concentrating hard. Come on, come on, I thought impatiently, watching as smoke began to rise to my paws. Then, my whole body was aflame, and I shot forward so fast that I did not even have time to think. I looked like a meteor as I blasted at the door which, along with the wall, shook and shattered as I blasted into it. With a force that knocked the breath out of me I landed, skidding across the floor for a few feet before I finally stopped. The cell I had once occupied was nothing but a burned out shell. I had completely destroyed the ceiling, so that it was open to the sky, and the wall with the small crack had fallen. And the wall lead out not into the sky, but onto a long stretch of grass. "Well that was unexpected," I grunted, examining the destruction, feeling a new wound on my shoulder, and the old ones throb more fiercely than before. "Hey! You there!" An angry voice shouted. Two armoured guards were racing down the corridor towards me, weapons in hand. I leapt rather unsteadily to my feet, standing still for a moment so that the room would stop spinning. I hesitated. I could still race outside and save myself, or I could run like a mad wolf down the halls to save Adam. I turned and bounded away, racing down the dark, shadowed corridor behind me, with nothing but a few torches lighting the way. The stone floor beneath me felt unusually smooth and slippery. I opened my mouth, drawing in Adam's scent as I ran. His scent lead in a clear, unwavering line down the dark corridor. Suddenly, more guards appeared ahead of me, making me skid to a stop, my claws scrabbling for a hold on the smooth surface. The guards behind me were racing up fast, their strange looking weapons held in a threatening way. I suddenly began to feel dizzy, and ran ahead, barking a single bark at the guards that sent a wave of heat towards them that was strong enough to knock them over. "Catch you later, idiots!" I muttered, leaping over the guards and bounding down the hall. To my alarm, my vision was suddenly growing blurrier, and I began to feel dizzier and dizzier. I skidded to a stop when Adam's scent veered off to the left, ramming into the wall at the end of the corridor. Well aware that the guards were still following me, I ran on again, taking care to keep on Adam's scent trail. I knew I had to find him, and find him fast, for his sake as well as mine. The scent trail stopped at the base of a long, winding staircase that spiraled upward. I looked up into the never ending darkness, then turned to watch the guards approach me. I whipped around and leapt up the stairs, my thick leg muscles working harder than before to carry me up the long staircase in my weakening state. I knew that the amount of energy I was exerting would only quicken my heart rate and move the slow killing poison through my veins even faster. But I knew that I had no choice. This was the only way I could save myself. At the top of the stairs I paused, turning around and facing the guards that were racing towards me. When they rounded the corner a huge ball of flaming red and orange shot out at them, taking them by surprise and knocking them back to the base of the stairs. Stupid humans, I thought, following Adam's scent trail. I knew that more humans would come, and if I did not find Adam before then I would be captured again...or possibly killed. I ran past a long row of prison cells that stood on either side of me. I dared a glimpse into the cells as I ran. The people inside of them looked at me curiously. I saw no icy or earth colored wolves in the cells, much to my relief. None of my pack had been captured. I stopped when I heard voices drifting from somewhere ahead. One of the voices was deep and rough, and sounded like a voice that did not belong to a human. The other was the calm, smooth voice of Adam, although I could hear the pain in his voice as he spoke through what sounded like clenched teeth. A growl escaped from the depths of my throat. I continued forward again, this time more slowly than before. I paused when I rounded a stone corner of the wall and could see into what Adam had said was the Torture Chamber. Quickly, I backed out of the orange glow to avoid being seen, hiding in the shadows of the wall just enough to where I could still see into the Torture Chamber. The Chamber was well lit, with no windows anywhere to be seen. The room was round and stretched high into the air like a tower. I narrowed my eyes as I scanned the room, spotting the man that had been dragged away first. He was sitting in a chair, with what looked like thousands of sharp spikes stabbing through his strapped down body. I drew in a gasp of horror, backing away a few steps so that I couldn't see the stabbed man, who was still alive as he slowly bled on the spiked chair. Where's Adam, where's Adam? I thought, peering again into The Chamber, hoping that I would not find him in worse state than the other man. I spotted him quickly, and to my relief he was not strapped to any spikes or something even more gruesome. I drew in a sharp breath, staring at Adam where he was tied to the wall by his wrists. Long, ugly scratches were across his back, and the creature that had dragged him off held a black, bloodstained whip in his hand. From what the creature was saying, I could tell that he was trying to get some sort of confession out of Adam. "Hang on, Adam!" I exclaimed, leaping forward and into The Chamber almost without thinking. I swerved to avoid ramming into terrifying-looking torture weapons, some which made me skid to a stop and run far away from them. I had never been in such a terrible room before. The creature turned to look at me, growling angrily and narrowing his eyes. I snarled, leaping and landing only a few paces away from the creature. He slashed the long, black whip at me, which slapped me with a firey sting across my muzzle. Blood flung from my face, trickling down into my mouth. I snarled again, leaping at the creature and biting him hard in the arm, thrusting the black whip out of his hand so that it landed on the other side of the room. "What are you doing here?" Adam demanded, his teeth clenched and adding to the pain in his voice. "Get out of here before you get yourself killed!" "Not without you!" I snarled, releasing my grip on the creatures hand. I leapt a pace or so away from him, examining more closely. He was atleast eight feet tall and well muscled. There were small, short horns sticking up from his head, and his skin was an eerie, ash gray. I had no idea what he was, but he was certainly a threatening looking person. He lunged for me, but I dodged, running in to bite him in the leg. The creature snarled and kicked me away, sending me skidding across the smooth floor. "Great Spirits!" I breathed as I rammed against the wall. "No one has ever done that to me before." I knew that, from the moment I had sunk my teeth into his hand, that this creature was very powerful, maybe even more powerful than me. The creature ran towards me again, and I leapt, meeting it and ramming into his chest, knocking the creature to the ground. I dug my claws into his chest and pushed him with all my strength across the floor. He rammed into the opposite wall, looking dazed. "Hang on, Adam," I exclaimed, standing up on my hind legs and placing my forepaws against the wall next to Adam. "You'll be out of here in a heartbeat." I stared at one of the ropes, which had embedded into his wrist. The wrist caught aflame and snapped, dangling Adam from his opposite wrist. Suddenly, the creature rammed into my side, knocking me to the ground and pinning me there. "Think you can kill me, wolf?" The creature snarled, smiling an evil, wicked smile. "Think again!" "Oof!" I exclaimed, feeling the breath knock out of me. I snarled and blew fire at the creature's face, which stalled him long enough for me to crawl away from him, bleeding from various wounds where the strange creature's armour had sliced into me. Suddenly, I heard the sound of many, many footsteps across the stone floors. Oh, no! I thought, realizing that many guards were racing towards the Chamber. I would have to act quickly. I forced myself to my paws, even though my head was spinning and there was incredible pain weaving through my body. The creature smiled that same, wicked smile as he loomed before me, barely even tired out from our fight. I knew that this creature was going to kill me. Then, the creature stiffened and fell to the ground with a mighty thump. Adam was standing behind the creature, a large, dangerous looking hammer in his hand, which he had used to hit the creature hard in the back of the head. Adam looked weak and could barely stand, and I knew that he would bleed to death if we stayed there any longer. "Get on my back, Adam," I snarled, clenching my teeth and realizing how much worse the pain would be with Adam on my back. "We'll get out of here faster." Adam looked like he wanted to argue, but he said nothing, for the guards were just racing into the Chamber. He leapt onto my back with what last energy he had left, weaving his hands through my orange fur to get a tighter grip. "Hang on!" I exclaimed, watching as the guards ran towards us. "This is going to be a bumpy ride." Bunching my muscles, I ran forward towards the guards, narrowing my eyes in concentration. But, instead of running through them, as I had foolishly done in the war with my pack, I leapt over them, outstretching my forepaws and landing with a hard impact that shook the floor. I did not dare to look over my shoulder, and I just ran through The Chamber and out the exit, sliding on the smooth floor but managing to race through the corridors. "Where's the Treasure Room?" I asked, feeling breathless and filled with pain. "Downstairs," Adam answered. "I don't think we'll be able to get into it, but I'll lead you there anyway." I nodded, listening as a warning horn sounded from somewhere above. I knew that the guards were alerting the rest of the guards that two of the prisoners had escaped. I gulped. Should I just escape out the wall I had knocked down and save Adam's life, or dare to find the Treasure Room and risk his life as well as mine? Ugh. Why did it have to be so difficult? I flew down the winding staircase, almost tripping and tumbling headlong down the stone steps. But I managed to keep my balance, for I knew that the moment I fell I would not be able to get up again. I could already feel sharp pains stab at my stomach, and I was already begining to feel breathless. "Go down that corridor," Adam said, pointing to the dark, shadowy corridor that wove through the prison to my right. "That should take you right to the door of the Treasure Room." "Good," I said, panting and gasping for breath. "Let's just get your stuff and get the hell out of here." There were no guards guarding the wooden door that lead into the Treasure Room, and I guessed that they were all gone looking for us in the shadows of the prison. I was going much to fast to stop and open the door, and so ran right through it, shattering the door into a thousand splinters and tripping over my paws, falling with a thud onto the floor of the Treasure Room. Adam fell as well, skidding into a pile of stacked, rusty armour. "That was easier than I had thought," Adam observed, clenching his teeth and pushing the armour that had fallen onto him. "You weren't the one running," I gasped, laying where I was on the cold, smooth floor. "Just hurry it up, would you?" "I'm hurrying, I'm hurrying," Adam protested, rummaging through the mounds of treasures in a hurried panic, doing his best to do so as quietly as he could. I clenched my teeth and tried to push myself to my paws, using the wall to support myself. "Where is it?" Adam asked himself, his voice panicked even further as he rummaged through a collection of sacks. "Aha!" He breathed, pulling out a brown, leather sack stuffed with a collection of things. "Now for the sword..." "Forget the sword!" I exclaimed. "We've got to get out of here!" "No!" Adam growled. "I need that sword. The fate of the world depends on that sword." "What?" I asked, confused and angry at the same time. Adam did not reply. He came running towards me a moment later, a strange, glowing white sword in his hands. "Let's get out of here," he ordered, leaping onto my back with his legs shaking from loss of blood. "However we're going to do that." "I know how," I growled, staring up at the ceiling, which was made up of a cheap looking wood. "Hang on to that sword tight, Adam. And you might want to put your head down." "Why-" Adam asked, but was cut off with a surprised gasp as I shot into the air in a ball of flame, rocketing with an uncontrollable speed towards the roof. I ducked my head and closed my eyes tight, feeling as we ripped through the roof and flew high into the cold, morning sky.
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Post by jaggedstar on Jul 26, 2008 10:29:59 GMT -5
Chapter Seven: Explanations I opened my eyes again, watching as we flew for a few moments over a large, oak forest with broad leaves that rustled in the wind in colors of brown and orange. Then, the flame beneath me failed and we began to fall, plummeting towards the forest far below. I let out a yell, hearing Adam do the same and almost tear the fur out of my back as I flipped upside down in midair. I grabbed a branch at the top of an oak tree with my claws, which snapped under my weight as I tried to hang on. Adam fell off of my back and landed with a shuddering force onto a branch below, while I plummeted all the way to the forest floor. Oh well. Atleast a thorn bush cushioned my fall. Angry and cursing, I untangled myself from the thorns, leaving a small amount of orange fur in the bush while a few of the thorns wove into my fur. Adam leapt from branch to branch until he was on the ground, landing beside me. "Are you okay?" He asked, watching me with wide green eyes as I ranted about the thorns that were embedded into my flank. I paused and looked at Adam; looked at how ragged and shredded he looked. I realized that I myself must look even worse than Adam, with my pelt tangled and blood caking my fur in many places. I let out a breath, then began to laugh. "What's so funny?" Adam demanded, looking at me as if I were mad. "You...look...rediculous!" I laughed, drawing in deep breaths as I fought for air. "Well you don't look so great yourself," Adam retorted, although he couldn't hold back a smile. "I can't believe you just shot through the ceiling like that." He went on, sitting down on the frost covered oak leaves beneath him. "And I can't believe I got my sword back." He held onto the sword tight in his hand, holding it by the blade. I winced, expecting long, deep wounds to be embedded into his palm. But there were none, not even a scratch. "Well what's so important about it?" I demanded, sitting down with a sigh of relief. The forest floor felt soft and comforting to my sore body. "I'll tell you later," Adam promised, setting the glowing sword down carefully and rummaging through his sack. "Right now there are more important things to attend to." He pulled out two broad, green leaves and walked over to me, holding one leaf in each hand. "What are those?" I asked suspiciously, sniffing at the herbs, which smelled strangely sweet, yet sour at the same time. "They'll get the poison out of you," Adam explained, pressing one of the broad leaves against the sword wound in my chest. "Isn't it a little late..." I began to ask, but stopped as a very strange, very unsual feeling surged through me. It felt as if everything inside of me was being pulled forward, and it felt as if my blood were running backwards. It wasn't a painful feeling, but an odd one at that, and one that made me draw in a sharp breath. Then, Adam pulled the leaf away and the feeling was gone. There was a stange, yellow substance on the leaf that had not been there before. "It expels the poison," Adam said, walking around me and pressing the other leaf against the sword wound on my flank. "How does it do that?" I asked, eyes widening as I felt the feeling again, this time tugging to my right. "I don't really know," Adam shrugged. "But we always have alot of herbs like this in our village. I brought some along with me." "That's good," I muttered, letting out a sigh of relief as the last of the poison was somehow pulled out of my body. "We're going to need them." Adam nodded slowly, discarding the leaves by burying them in the cold earth. "Thanks for getting me out of that prison," Adam said suddenly. "I've been in there for weeks. I was sure that I was going to die in there." "No problem," I muttered. "You can pay me back by pulling these thorns from my pelt. They're starting to bug me." Adam smiled. "Alright," he shrugged, walking around to my other flank and examining the many thorns that were stuck into my flesh. "You know, I don't even know your name," Adam pointed out as he pulled the thorns, one by one, from my fur. "It's Blaze," I replied, staring ahead through the dark, shadow filled forest. "Blaze," Adam echoed. "The name suits you." "Now will you tell me what's so special about that sword?" I asked, flickering my gaze to the strange, white sword that sat a few paces away from me. "Well...I guess you can say that it's a magical sword," Adam began, pulling another thorn from my fur. "Oh, a 'magical' sword! I see," I laughed. "Next you're going to tell me that leprachauns come from rainbows and unicorns can fly?" "Be serious, I'm not joking," Adam muttered. "It's not like that kind of magic. It can destroy all evil in the world, if it falls in the right hands...or it can destroy all good in the world if it falls in the wrong hands, which is why I had to get it back." I pricked my ears in interest. "So...The Trackers are evil, right? It could destroy them?" Adam nodded. "Yes. It can." "How does the sword work, exactly?" I asked, feeling curious. "I have to deliver it to someone," Adam began hesitantly. "But she lives at the most eastern edge of the world." "That's really far to go," I commented, imagining what a long and cruel journey that would be. "Why are you delivering it to her now?" "Those 'Trackers', as you call them, are already spreading across the entire world. If I don't deliver the sword to her, they might take over, and then there will be no hope left." "If you get the sword to her," I said, realizing that the sword was more important than I had first thought. "Then my pack will be safe..." "Yes," Adam agreed. "They will." I stayed silent, staring ahead through the trees. If Adam got the sword to whoever he needed to get it to, then The Trackers would be destroyed. My pack would live in peace, and never have to worry about trying to bring peace to the world. I suddenly sat up taller, wondering if the Great Spirits had had me captured and met Adam for a reason. Adam was out to bring peace to the world...and so was I. "I got the thorns out," Adam said after a while, stepping away from my flank. Small beads of red blood oozed from some of the holes where the thorns had been. "Thanks," I murmured, hesitating. "You...you can't deliver that sword on your own. Let me come with you." Adam looked up at me. "Why?" "Why not?" I demanded, rising to my paws. "I was put here by the Great Spirits to keep peace on the earth. If I helped you to deliver the sword, then I would bring peace to the earth! I'd fullfill my purpose and save my pack from The Trackers." Adam stared at me for a moment. "I have no idea what you just said, but I would be glad of the company," Adam admitted, smiling slightly. "You can come if you want." "Thank you," I said, smiling in the way only a wolf could. "My pack will thank you for this." Adam nodded slowly and looked away. "So, do you have anything in that sack for your wounds?" I wondered aloud, staring at the long wounds across Adam's back. They were still bleeding slightly. "I have a roll of bandages," Adam said, sitting down quickly and rummaging through the sack as if he had forgotten about his wounds. "Would you mind helping me with them?" "Fine," I muttered, padding over to Adam. "Just tell me what to do." We spent the rest of the morning covering Adam's wounds as well as mine. It was rather difficult helping Adam wrap the cloth bandage across his back, around his chest, and back again. When we had finished with bandaging him up the bleeding had stopped, atleast, staining the bandages with bright spots of red. Adam cut the fur around the worst of my wounds to cover them with bandages and pour some green gunk in them, which I did not like at all. I looked ragged and so un-Elite Pack-ish, with my fur cut in some places and bandages plastered onto my skin. The orange tufts of fur that sat on the forest floor burned slightly. I felt like a lion without his mane. "We should get away from here," Adam said, rising to his feet again. "Those guards will be looking for us." "Good idea," I agreed. "While we're here can we hunt for something to eat? I'm STARVING!" Adam laughed. "Yes," he said. "Let's see if we can catch some deer while we're out here."
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Post by jaggedstar on Jul 26, 2008 10:30:20 GMT -5
Chapter Eight: The Town, A Bit of Trouble, And Some Pie I leapt after the brown deer that grazed before me, grunting as I hit the ground and chased after them. The deer lifted their heads and made a run for it, bounding in high leaps through the surrounding oak trees. I lunged at the nearest one, baring my teeth and biting into it's neck. I forced it to the ground and killed the deer quickly, tasting the salty tang of it's blood in my mouth. Carefully, I removed my teeth from the deer's neck, licking the red blood from my orange muzzle. "I told you I could catch the biggest one!" I sneered over at Adam, who was hiding in the bushes, watching me hunt. "That was just luck," Adam muttered, rising to his feet and walking over to the motionless body of the brown deer. "It is pretty big though. We won't go hungry tonight, that's for sure." Adam and I had been traveling through the forest all day. It had been a rather peaceful walk, even though it had been a tireing one. It was nice to have a day without blood and swords and torture, for once. Now, as the sun was just begining to set beneath the forest in the west, we had started hunting, and I, of course, had caught the biggest deer in the herd. I couldn't help being reminded of how I should be dead right now, not alive and hunting for deer. I owed Adam alot for saving my life...and accompanying him on his journey seemed like a good way to repay him. As I had walked through the forest that day, I reflected upon how I would probably never see my pack again. The journey was going to be dangerous; being in prison proved that; and wherever we went, I might not be coming back. Oh well; it would all be worth it if my pack was safe from The Trackers. "Why do you cook it?" I asked, watching as Adam cut through the deer and pulled out chunks of meat. "You're going to ruin it." "No I'm not," Adam retorted, sounding slightly amused. "And I can dry it so that we can have some to take with us." "Yuck," I muttered, hunching my shoulders. "Just hurry up, would you? I'll just eat whatever meat you leave behind." When Adam was finished I dove in, savoring the warm, fleshy flavor of the deer as it entered my mouth. The deer tasted so delicious after a few days without eating, and it was gone far too quickly. I stared down at the empty deer, frowning and licking the last scraps of meat from my muzzle. "I feel better," I said with a sigh, padding over to where Adam had thrown a collection of sticks and logs into a pile. I blew on the sticks, and they slowly caught fire. Then, I lay down beside the fire, resting my head on my paws. "I bet," Adam murmured, watching the fire catch onto the twigs and sticks. "We should head towards the mountains first thing tommorow." "Mountains?" I echoed. "Why do we have to go through them?" I remembered seeing the mountains from the ruins, and earlier that day. The mountains had gradually been coming closer and closer on the horizon as we walked through the forest. Back home at the ruins, I could remember the elders telling me and the other wolves many tales of the mountains; that there were hostile, dangerous dragons living there and lone, dangerous wolves. I never did believe the tales, but I was still rather hesitant about going through them. "Because we need to," Adam explained, begining to cook the meat in a small pot he had carried in his sack. "It's the only way to get to the lands beyond." "Don't dragons live there?" I asked fretfully. Adam laughed. "You've been listening to your elder's tales, haven't you?" "Maybe," I muttered slowly. "How do you know?" "My elders told me the stories all the time in my village," he said, staring down at the slab of meat cooking on the fire. "But dragons are supposed to be extinct." "That's a shame," I said, letting out a sigh. "I hope that my kind doesn't go extinct." "If we deliver the sword sucesfully, then you won't have to worry about that," Adam pointed out, staring through the tree branches to the sky where the first stars of twilight were begining to appear. "And what if we don't?" He did not answer. We sat there in silence for a long moment, listening as the crickets began to chirp and watching as the stars began to emerge in the inky sky. I looked up at the stars, thinking, wondering. I wondered if I would ever see Arcani again, or if I would ever see Clay, or Freeze, or Lightning for that matter. I was not sure how I could bear if Arcani or any of my friends had been captured by The Trackers; or even worse, killed. My eyes began to droop as my head rested on my paws, reminding me of my exhaustion. I was so tired that I felt I wouldn't even be able to open my mouth to talk. Adam began to sing to himself a quiet, lovely tune in a language that I could not understand. This only made me even tireder, and it was not long before I fell into a deep, comforting sleep. ~*~*~*~*~ The next morning Adam awoke me. The fire was extinguished, and there was part of the deer pelt hanging over his shoulder, which I assumed he had cut just before he had decided to wake me up. "Wake up," he said, shaking my shoulder slightly. "We need to get going." "Go away," I mumbled, closing my eyes and pushing him away with a paw. I was so tired that I did not want to get up. "Fine," Adam shrugged. "I'll just leave without you." I opened my eyes at that. I rose to my paws and yawned, stretching until my cold, sore muscles warmed. I blinked the sleep from my eyes. "Where are we going today?" I asked, following Adam at a steady trot through the surrounding oak trees. "There's a town a few miles from here," Adam explained, rummaging through his sack for a piece of dried meat. "I need to stop there and get some supplies." "A town?" I repeated, looking at Adam as if he were insane. "And you expect the townsfolk to greet me like a long lost friend? They'll panic at the sight of me and run away, just like they always do." "Nah," Adam said, shaking his head and pulling out two large pieces of dried meat, one of which he gave to me. I carried it in my mouth, feeling my mouth begin to water, even though the cooked meat did not taste as great as it did when it was raw. "They won't. You'll be fine." "Hmph," I snorted, growling under my breath and staring at my paws. Something told me that this was not going to end well. The rest of the walk was a calm, peaceful one, all until we reached the shore of a broad, rapid river. I stopped immediately on the rocky, sandy shore, staring at the gray, sweeping water that rushed past my paws. I hesitated, then took a few steps away from the water. "What's wrong?" Adam asked, walking confidently to a wooden bridge that was made of nothing but planks and ropes. "Afraid of the water?" "No," I snarled, although I knew that I definately looked afraid, with my ears flattened and my steps unsure. "I...I can't get wet." "Why? Are you going to melt?" Adam asked jokingly, stepping the few steps onto the plank bridge. I growled impatiently but did not respond, just padded forward and hesitated before the bridge. The truth was that if I got wet, I would extinguish like a fire when someone dumps a bucket of water over it. If the flame ever extinguished from my fur, I would die. Slowly, hesitantly, I placed one of my paws on the plank bridge. The bridge was just above the water, and creaked under my weight. I drew in a sigh and stepped onto the bridge, feeling the bridge sway slightly, and hearing the ropes creak as I stepped forward just above the tantalizingly close, gray water. I drew in a gulp, quickening my steps until I was safely on the opposite shore where Adam was waiting. That was close, I thought, glancing at the river before walking after Adam through the trees. The sun was half way at its peak by the time Adam and I arrived at the town. There was a gentle, grassy slope leading down to the town, which was rather small. Various smells drifted from the town, some of which smelled of food. Many people swarmed around the town like the tiny ants around the ant hills I use to step on and destroy when I was a pup, except this was not an ant hill, and I could not destroy it with a squish of my paw. "You'll be fine," Adam promised, placing his hand on my shoulder. "Just stick with me and nobody will bother you." "Why can't I just meet you on the other side?" I protested. "It's alot faster this way than going around," Adam pointed out. "Now come on." "Alright," I said with a sigh. "I believe you. Let's just get this over with." Adam took the lead down the slope; the tall, yellow stalks of grass reaching up to his waist. I hesitated before following, padding at a hesitant pace down the grassy slope. There were no walls surrounding the town, only a crude wooden fence. I cleared the fence in one bound, landing in the grass on the other side while Adam climbed over the wooden fence. I stared at the town only a pawstep away from me, feeling nervous yet excited at the same time. The town looked bigger up close, with tall, stone buildings stretching into the sky. Clothes lines stretched across the buildings, and clothes hung from them. Wooden carts lined the road, some with vegetables, some with various types of raw meat, and many stores with a variety of clothes inside of them. "Not bad, is it?" Adam asked, pausing beside me. I shook my head. "Let's go," I said eagerly, itching to explore the streets of the town. I had never been into a town before, only seen them from a distance. I walked at a steady pace into the town first, looking up at the tall, towering buildings and the various carts that surrounded me. The people paused to look at me, but their gazes weren't afraid, but curious. "Why aren't they afraid of me?" I asked Adam in a whisper, returning a few of the stares. "Many creatures pass through this town," Adam explained, adjusting the deer skin over his shoulder. "Not just humans." "Oh," I mumbled, then looked at Adam in confusion. "Well why aren't you afraid of me?" I challenged, narrowing my eyes. "Well, for one you've never tried to hurt me," Adam said, looking up at me. "And you're really nice. I have no reason to fear you." "Even though I'm taller than you and I glow?" Adam laughed. "Even though," He paused beside a shop with a fancy design on the window that I could not read. "Now, wait out here. I need to get some supplies that we'll need." "Well why can't I go inside?" I demanded stubbornly. "You won't fit through the door," Adam laughed, turning and entering the store. I hesitated. That was true, I had to admit. I stood outside the doorway, feeling rather bored, until I smelled a warm, appetizing smell waft through the streets towards my nose. What's that smell? I wondered, sniffing the air and turning, following the tempting, warm smell down the cobblestone street. I had never smelled the scent before, and it made my mouth water. Turning the corner, I realized the source of the smell was coming from a store on the corner. Again, the fancy designs on the window spelled out something that I could not read. I stared curiously through the window, spotting strange, brown food sitting on a window ledge, ribbons of steam rising from the food and into the air. Slowly, I approached the window ledge, sniffing at the...thing and wrinkling my nose. It smelled like the strong, fruity smell of apples, and something else that I couldn't recognize. I narrowed my eyes, titlting my head to one side and dabbing at it curiously with my paw. "Interested in buying a pie?" A female's voice asked from the other side of the glass window. I jumped backwards, crashing into some crates stacked against a building that nearly fell on me. I pushed myself in embaressment to my paws, walking over to the woman watching me from the window. "You want me to buy that?" I asked, wrinkling my nose as I stared at the 'pie'. "Why would I do that?" The woman laughed. "So you can eat it, of course." "It's edible?" I wondered aloud. "I thought you could only eat meat?" "Why don't you try a slice for yourself?" The woman asked, using something sharp to cut a slice out of the pie. "New customers eat free." I shrugged, grabbing the slice in my teeth, surprised and shocked that the woman did not flinch away as my glistening, sharp, white teeth came only a hair's length away from her hand. She didn't even look afraid; she kept smiling at me as I tried the pie. I was even more surprised that the pie tasted fantastic. "That's fantastic!" I mumbled around my mouthful, wondering if there was any way in convincing Adam to buy a full pie. Just then, Adam came out of the store. His face was pale and there was something in his hand. "We need to go," Adam said urgently, pausing beside me. "Now." "Can't we buy a pie first?" I complained, but Adam grabbed me by the loose fur around my neck, pulling me forward with him. I growled and followed, following him around the corner of a building until we were hidden in the shadows. "Look!" Adam exclaimed, holding up the paper that he held in his hands. There were strange markings written across it. "I'm a wolf, if you haven't noticed," I growled. "I can't read! It wouldn't kill you to read it to me, if it's so important." Adam glared at me for a moment. "It says:
Wanted: A tall, brown haired elf and giant wolf with flame colored fur. Wanted for escaping from and destroying The Onyx Prison, and stealing a sword from the Treasure Room. Reward given for anyone who brings the two back...dead or alive.
See? They're looking for us! They want to kill us! They know that I have the sword, and they will do anything to get it now that they know what it's worth." "So what do we do?" I asked, staring at the sword that Adam carried in a belt around his waist. "Run and never rest until we pass out from exhaustion?" "No," Adam said impatiently. "We just need to get out of this town. If this flyer was posted here just now, then they must of been looking for us all night but passed right by us in the forest. They could be anywhere in this town. They could be here right now." I felt my heart skip a beat. "Okay, let's go," I said quickly, turning and padding out of the shadows and towards the main street. "Are you crazy?" Adam asked, stopping me. "They'll see us out there in the open." "Like nobody is going to notice a giant, glowing wolf anyway," I snorted, turning around to glare at Adam. "Unless you have a better idea?" "I do," Adam muttered, staring up at the rooftops that stretched above our heads. "I can't believe I'm doing this," I muttered, leaping from roof to roof, with Adam sitting on my back. "Yeah? Well, it's better than being put in that prison again," Adam pointed out, watching as I cleared the space between another building. "Let's just hope that nobody decides to watch some birds fly, eh?" I muttered, grunting as I landed on the roof top, which stood far below the one I had just jumped from. "I think that we're drawing attention to ourselves," I said, leaping atop the tall roof-top, almost missing the edge of the roof and almost falling into the alley below. The people below in the street were watching us with curious murmurs, staring and pointing. "Then we should hurry," Adam said with a frown. "The end of the town is just ahead. We'll be in the forest soon." I nodded, hesitating before I leapt across to the other roof-top. Suddenly, there was a whiz through the air, and a sharp, firey pain exploded into my side. I stiffened as an arrow sliced into my flesh, and stared down into the streets in alarm. I froze as I recognized the creature from the prison. He held a bow in his hand, and was aiming another arrow at me. "Run, Blaze!" Adam exclaimed, jumping me out of my frozen state. I turned around quickly and leapt from roof top to roof top, careless about landing too hard and knocking many shingles onto the streets below. Another arrow whizzed past me, but missed me by an inch. I did not stop to watch the creature, just leapt off of the last building and into the forest, running at full speed through the trees. I did not stop until the sun was at it's highest point, which by then I was completely exhausted and drained of energy. I drew in gasping, ragged breaths, collapsing in the grass at the edge of a large meadow in the middle of the forest. "You know, I've never rode on a wolf before," Adam said, sliding off of my back and into the tall grass. "I don't think many people can say they have," I panted, pulling myself into the shade of a nearby, broad oak tree. "Would you like me to take that out?" Adam asked, pointing at the arrow that was half-way embedded into my flank. "Huh? Oh, yeah. I forgot about that." "This might hurt a little," Adam warned, kneeling down beside me and rubbing his hands together. "Don't bite me or anything." "I'm not promising anything," I growled, allowing a hint of amusement to enter my voice. Adam paused, not sure whether I was joking or not. Adam was right, it did hurt, but not as much as I would have expected. "So much for going a day without any wounds," I muttered, watching Adam throw the arrow over his shoulder. And so much for trusting you to go into that town, I thought, although I was too tired to say so aloud and start an argument. Adam laughed. "We'll probably have lost half of our blood by the time we reach our destination." "Probably," I shrugged. It was silent for a moment. "Where do we go now?" "The mountains," Adam replied, sitting down beside me in the shade of the oak tree. "We should reach them before sunset." I frowned, lifting my head and staring at the blue, snow capped mountains in the distance. They weren't as distant as I had seen them at the ruins, but they still looked so far away. I let out a sigh, staring down at the grass beneath me. Although I knew joining Adam on his journey was the right thing, I couldn't help but wish that I was back at the ruins, with the mountains far in the distance instead of looming before me.
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Post by jaggedstar on Jul 26, 2008 10:30:45 GMT -5
Chapter Nine: The Mountains The mountains drew closer and closer as Adam and I walked across a broad, open field open to the blue sky above. Not a tree was in sight, and it was not long before the mountains were looming right above us, with the foothills rising like gentle, sleeping animals around us; the grasses waving in the cool breeze. I looked up at the mountains, and the small, dirt trail that wound in between the two hills in front of us before weaving into the mountains in a narrow canyon. "The lands up there are dangerous and hostile," Adam said, staring up at the mountains with narrowed eyes. "You can still turn back, if you want. There's no going back once you enter." "No way," I snorted. "This is something I have to do. Besides, I doubt that The Trackers would even dare to try and follow us up there." "They might try," Adam muttered darkly, then shook his head slightly as if shaking the thoughts out of it. "Well, come on then." "Right behind you," I mumbled, following Adam on the narrow path that only allowed us to walk in single file in between the two grassy hills. Deep shadows were cast in the canyon, and the only light of the sun reached the top most peaks of the mountains. There's no going back once you enter, Adam's words echoed through my mind. I hesitated, glancing over my shoulder to the familiar fields; the familiar forest in the distance, with it's rivers and meadows and streams. With these few steps, I was about to leave everything that I had ever known behind me. But I knew that, despite all this, I was doing the right thing. This was something I had to do for my pack. Slowly, I turned and faced forward again, heading up the dusty trail just behind Adam. The valley was cold and dark, and made me shiver. I glanced once more over my shoulder, watching as the green lands behind me slowly melted away, then vanished all together behind a tall, gray wall of stone. "Is it going to be this cold all throughout the mountains?" I asked, listening as my voice echoed strangely against the canyon walls. "Colder," Adam replied. "But you're warm enough that it shouldn't be a problem." "Heh...funny you should mention that," I muttered. "Actually, it is a problem." Adam stopped and turned to look at me. "Why?" "Because," I sighed. "I'm...like a flame, I guess you could say. If I get wet or if it's too cold, then I'll 'extinguish'." "Extinguish as in...die?" Adam asked, his eyes widening. "Why didn't you say so before?" "I didn't think the mountains would be so cold," I growled, defending myself. "But I'll be alright. Let's just keep going." Adam frowned and turned around again, looking worried. I began to wish that I had not brought it up; if he was going to worry about me all throughout the mountains. The canyon soon ended abruptly at a steep, verticle cliff that rose high into the sky. I paused beside the steep wall, frowning and placing one of my paws on the wall. It wasn't completely verticle, and might be possible to scale. "Do you think that we should try it?" I asked, staring up to the top of the steep wall. "I don't know," Adam said slowly, examining the cliff wall, looking for any stones or hand holds that he could use to scale the cliff side. "It looks pretty risky." "You should let me go first," I said, nudging Adam out of the way slightly and jumping onto my hind legs, placing both of my forepaws on the cliff wall. "If I can make it up, you can too." "Wait, Blaze..." Adam protested, watching as I pulled myself up the steep slope. But I didn't pay attention to his words, and let them drown into the distance below me. I knew that I could not use my powers to scale the slope; I could cause a rock fall or completely miss the top of the slope and hurtle back down into the canyon. I had to do it the hard way. The wall was fairly easy to climb for the first stretch, until it got steeper and steeper, then eventually stopped at a steep wall of smooth, gray rock. I stared at the wall in dismay. "Can you get up?" Adam called up, having to raise his voice to a shout so that I could hear it. "I don't think so," I responded, feeling my heart begin to pound uncomfortably. I looked over to my right, then to my left. I spotted the top of the canyon wall just a few feet or so above my head, which would be possible to jump up onto if I did not loose my balance. "I'm going to try over here!" I called down, slowly edging my way across the slope towards the top of the canyon. I knew that we had to find a way up, and find a way up quickly. That creature could be following us, and for all we knew there could be more Trackers with him. "Be careful!" Adam warned, watching as I stopped beside the top of the canyon. I nodded, feeling my legs shaking as I slowly rose to my full height. Then, I bunched my muscles and sprang. Amazingly, with what seemed like winged paws, I made it to the top of the slope, feeling rather shaky but alright. "It's easy!" I called down to Adam, sitting down on the short, stubby grass beneath me. "Come on!" Adam nodded, pulling himself up onto the slope and crawling his way up like a spider. He seemed to have no problem getting up, all until he reached the last stretch leading to the top of the canyon. Adam hesitated. "Here, I'll help you," I offered, rising to my paws and extending my forepaw down as far as it would go. Adam reached up with his hand, although he could barely reach it. "I can't reach it," Adam growled. "Try coming down a little bit further." "Why don't you just jump?" I growled, extending my paw down further, for as far as it could go. This time Adam grabbed my paw, and I was able to pull him to the top of the cliff with a bit of effort. As I watched him, I could see the pain in Adam's eyes, and was reminded of the wounds across his back. My own wounds hurt badly, but I couldn't imagine how bad Adam's must of felt. "Are your wounds bothering you?" I asked, watching Adam with a bit of worry in my eyes. "Nah," Adam shrugged. "Just a little." He was silent for a moment, staring at something behind me. Then, his eyes widened. "Wow! Look at that!" "What?" I demanded, leaping around in alarm and expecting to see something creeping up on us. But that was far from what I saw. Mountains, hundreds of them, stretched high into the sky, some with snow capping the peaks. Nestled between the mountains were broad, green valleys filled with pine trees and even a few rivers. Pine trees grew on every mountain all up until a certain point, and there was a huge, beautiful waterfall visible from where we were. It was as if we had stepped into a whole different world. "Wow," I whispered, sweeping the landscape with my icy gaze. "I've never seen anything like it." Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad to travel through after all. "Me neither," Adam agreed, sounding awestruck. It was a rather beautiful sight, with the sun setting behind us and casting the mountains in a firey, red glow. I myself looked illuminated, as if I were a flame sitting atop the canyon. "Let's head for that valley down there," I said, pointing down the gentle, long slope that lead into the broad, green valley that had the river where the waterfall poured into. If anyone was looking for us, they'd see me from a mile away, and I was eager to get off the top of that cliff. "Good idea," Adam agreed quickly, as if he was thinking the same thing. "We should hurry while we're at it and find somewhere to camp before the mountain lions come out." "Mountain lions?" I asked, following and walking to match Adam's pace as I walked at his shoulder. "What are those?" "They're like a lion, except without a mane," Adam replied patiently. "And they live in the mountains. They usually come out at night to hunt." "Lovely," I muttered. "Let's just hope that we aren't on the menu." "I doubt it," Adam replied. "One would probably be more scared of us than we are of them. We probably won't even see one." "Yeah. Usually orange, glowing wolves don't wander through here," I said jokingly. Adam smiled slightly but did not reply, just concentrated on staring at the trail ahead. All the way to the bottom of the slope and through the valley Adam and I talked; I mainly about my pack and Adam mainly about his village. We talked and did not really pay attention to where we were going; walking steadily through the trees as the night slowly set in. "That would be nice to have Wind with us," Adam replied once I was finished telling him about the wolves in my pack, including Wind and his wings. "We could just fly straight to the eastern sea." "Yeah," I agreed, easily leaping over a fallen log that lay in my path. "But I don't think that Wind could carry both of us..." My voice suddenly drifted off and I paused, staring ahead at something through the trees. It was a cave, yawning into the side of the valley wall. Something about the cave was familiar, but when I tried to think of the reason why the thought twitched and swept away like a leaf in the wind. "What?" Adam demanded, and I knew that his eyes would not be able to see the cave, for it was too dark. "What's wrong?" I shook my head. "Nothing," I replied quickly. "There's just a cave up ahead...maybe we can stay the night in it." "We don't know if something is living in there or not," Adam pointed out uncertainly, watching as I padded towards the cavern. "I don't think that's a good idea." "I have a nose," I muttered. "I'll be able to smell something if it's in there. Come on!" I paused in front of the cavern, carefully smelling around the cave for a trace of whatever lived there...if anything did live there, anyway. I picked up no unusual scents, and inside the cave the only thing I could smell was the dampness of the cave and the sand beneath my paws. "Nothing lives here," I replied, listening to my voice echo around the walls, as it had done in the canyon. "We can make a fire in here and not worry about having to be out in the open." "Sounds good to me," Adam replied, looking around the cave and feeling the sand that made up the floor, which was cold to the touch. "Let's go get some firewood and then eat. I'm starving." Collecting firewood was always fun for me. I'd find the skinniest, deadest tree and knock it to the ground, then Adam would cut the tree into logs while I went and looked for another tree to knock over. It took quite a bit of effort, though, and I always had to help carry the logs back by carrying them in my mouth, which did not taste very good, especially when there were bugs crawling around on the log. Yuck. "This actually doesn't taste that bad," I mumbled, eating a piece of dried deer meat after starting the fire and getting settled down for the night. "I told you it was good," Adam retorted, eating his own piece of meat and sitting against the wall next to me. The temperature was dropping outside, and the stars glittered coldly around only a claw mark of the moon. Darkness had settled in quickly, but atleast it was warm and bright inside of the cave. "So where do we go tommorow?" I asked, tugging at the piece of dried meat until some came off. Adam didn't reply at first, but rummaged through his sack and pulled out a long paper roll. He opened it and set it on the sandy floor, holding his hands on both sides to prevent the paper from rolling up again. "This is a map," Adam said, nodding to the paper. "It shows you where you're going and what's ahead." "So where are we?" I asked, shifting into a position so that I could face the map. I set my paw on one side of the map, holding it down gently, for any more pressure would catch the map on fire. I looked at Adam's hand, then to my paw, which was absolutely huge in comparison. I kept wondering how Adam did not see me as a monster. "Here," Adam pointed to a small clearing in the very begining of the mountains. "In the morning we'll head east along this trail..." he slid his finger over the small trail weaving through the mountains. My eyes widened as I realized just how far we had to go. It could take days, maybe even weeks, to reach the end of the mountains. "What about when we reach this?" I asked, pointing with my nose to the black ribbon that wove along the length of the mountains at the eastern edge of the mountains. Adam frowned. "That's Hell's Cliff," he replied. "The two cliffs on either side stretch down into the very pits of hell, as legend says. Some say it's impassible." "How do you suppose we're going to get across?" " I'm not so sure. But we'll think of a way once we get there." "Hmph," I snorted. "Maybe your magical sword can magicaly fly us across." Adam didn't reply. He removed the white sword slowly from the hilt, staring at it and tracing his finger along the edge. "I just hope that we can get this sword to where it needs to go." He replied quietly. "We will," I encouraged, nudging him with my paw in a friendly way. "Now who's being negative?" Adam smiled slightly, then put the sword away. "But there is still the chance that we might not make it." "And there's still a chance that we will," I growled. "And we will get that sword to the eastern sea, one way or another. I'll see to it that the sword gets there in the right hands, even if I have to die trying."
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Post by jaggedstar on Jul 26, 2008 10:31:02 GMT -5
Chapter Ten: Into the Caves My sleeping mind drifted me off into the world of dreams that night, tugging me along like a cool, flowing river. I was transported back to a time when I was just a young pup, playing with a wolf I did not recognize in a shadowy, sand filled cave. What was strange was that my fur was not orange, but gray like the color of ash. The other wolf was smaller than me, with pitch black fur and white, cold eyes. The first hint of danger I recognized was when the cave floor started to shift, then slowly started to swirl, as if draining into a hole in the floor. The sand dragged the black wolf and I with it; and the scene was so familiar I began to wonder if I had been in that cave before. Then, there were two dragons, one black, and one red, and then there was nothing. I blinked open my eyes rapidly. At first, I couldn't tell what had awaken me. No mountain lions were trying to eat us, and no Trackers were attacking us. Then, I realized what, and leapt to my paws in alarm. The floor was shifting. "Adam!" I barked the loudest bark that I could come up with from the depths of my lungs. This made him jump out of his sleep and leap to his feet, unsheathing his sword as if he thought I were an enemy that was going to attack him. "We've got to get out of here," I went on, trying to get some sense into the half-awake Adam. "I think-" My voice cut off abruptly as the sand beneath me vanished, and both Adam and I were pulled down into a large hole hidden beneath the sand. Then, we were flying down a diagonal, stone tunnel, with Adam just behind me, which was a big relief for me so that I wouldn't squish him when I reached the bottom. Wild with terror, I scrabbled with my claws to try and stop myself, but the stone was so smooth that we just kept sliding faster and faster down the stone tunnel. At the end, we flew out and into an underground cave, landing with a force that shook the ground and made a few pebbles clatter from the ceiling. I landed winded in a sandy floored cave, drawing in a gasping breath for air. I tried to stand up, but froze instantly as I watched Adam's sword fly through the air as he emerged from the tunnel, aiming straight for me. I closed my eyes tight and prepared for a lot of pain. But, there was no pain, not even a small bit. I dared to open my eyes, and opened them wide with shock. The sword was hovering just above me only an inch or so above my face. It was as if it knew not to strike me. Adam walked over to me, looking stunned, staring at the sword before carefully grabbing it out of the air. "Wha-...Bu-...How did that just happen?" I spluttered, rolling onto my paws and staring at the glowing sword with eyes as wide as two full moons. Adam slowly shook his head, staring down at the sword. "I don't know," he admitted. "When I was given this sword I never imagined that it could do something like that." "Normal swords don't levitate?" I joked, shaking some sand from my flaming orange pelt. "I'm beginning to think that it is a magical sword after all." "Me too," Adam agreed, sheathing the sword and looking around the cave. "So how do you suppose we're going to get out of here?" "I don't know," I replied, looking around the cave in wonder. Stalagmites reached like stone fangs from the ceiling, touching with their tips to the floor. The floor beneath me was covered in sand, but beneath that was solid rock, leading me to think that many people had fallen down the hole the same way Adam and I had. There were two passages just beneath the stone tunnel. Both of them lead into darkness. "Well, it looks like we don't have a choice," I said quietly, begining to walk towards the two dark tunnels. "Let's go." "Wait," Adam warned, running to catch up with me. "Who know's what's down there? Shouldn't we try to get up the way we came?" "And break all our legs?" I asked. "No, I don't think so. There might be a way out through one of these." I approached the tunnels and sniffed each of them. One smelled damper than the other, as if it lead to water, and the other one smelled as if there was a fresh breeze winding through it. "I think this one is more promising," I replied, pointing to the one with the fresh air scent. "Come on." "If you say so," Adam muttered. "I just hope you know what you're doing." "Of course I do!" I protested loudly, leading the way into the dark tunnel. "I'm Blaze, I always know what I'm doing." "Uh-huh, sure," Adam agreed sarcastically. I glared at him over my shoulder, but I couldn't help but be amused. The tunnel seemed to weave left and right, although I couldn't be sure with how dark it was. The pale glow of that eminated from my fur lit only the small space surrounding me and no farther. I walked forward slowly, feeling with my paw across the smooth, tunnel floor before continuing on again. I wasn't about to fall down a deep, endless pit. There was a pale, blue light ahead. "Hey, I think that there's a way out ahead!" I called over my shoulder. "Come on!" I quickened my pace...and got stuck as the tunnel narrowed. I struggled to free myself, scrabbling my paws on the ground but only managing to shovel up small piles of dirt. "Let me guess," Adam said from somewhere behind me. "You're stuck." "Maybe," I growled. "Just get me out of here!" "Ok, ok," Adam muttered, pushing me forward with all of his strength. "Try to pull yourself forward." "I'm trying," I snapped, digging my claws and pulling myself forward. I slowly began to move, and felt the rocks on either side of me scrape painfully against my sides. Then, I was free, drawing in a gasp of relief as I raced down the tunnel into another underground cave. "Thanks, Adam!" I exclaimed as he came slowly through the tunnel. "For a moment I thought I was going to be stuck in there forever." "No problem," Adam shrugged. "You know, we won't be able to go back the way we came. You'll get stuck again." I nodded in agreement. "Those rocks hurt," I muttered, looking at the thin, jagged scratches across my flanks. There was only a bit of blood, but it had managed to pull some of my fur out of their roots. I looked away from my ragged pelt, wondering where the tunnel had taken us. I looked around in awe. Crystals, thousands of them, lined the walls, some petruding from the ground. They were in colors of black and red, and sparkled from the pale sunlight that was streaming in through a hole in the roof. That was where the fresh breeze was coming from. "Oh wow," Adam whispered, coming up to my side. "This is...amazing." "No kidding," I whispered back, not drawing my gaze from the glittering red and black crystals. Again, the sight of the crystals looked familiar; very familiar, but I just couldn't put my paw on the thought. "Well, let's start to find a way out of here," I huffed, breaking from the trance and padding across the cavern floor. I looked up at the hole in the ceiling of the cave as I walked, narrowing my eyes. Was there some way of getting out through that hole? The hole looked big enough, but only if I could find a way to climb up there... Suddenly, my paw caught on something hard, making me trip and fall onto the cold, earth floor. I growled and twisted my head to look at what had tripped me. It was a large red gem sticking out of the earth. "You okay?" Adam called from where he was trying to find a path up to the hole. "I'm fine," I growled, embaressment sweeping over me. Then, the cave started trembling, as if the gem had triggered something. Adam instantly leapt backwards, pushing himself against the gems as the ground beneath him suddenly caved in. I leapt in alarm to my paws, but I was too late. My forepaws grabbed the side of the large, gaping hole, while my hindpaws scrabbled against the loose soil lining the hole. Then, my forepaws lost their hold on the edge of the hole, and I plummeted down into the darkness of the pit. I let out a yell of terror, my paws thrashing at nothing but empty air. Adam peered over the edge of the pit, yelling out my name in a voice that sounded absolutely terrified. My gaze locked with his for a moment, before I suddenly reached the bottom of the pit into some strange, sticky liquid. The liquid dragged me under a few feet, before I stopped sinking. My paws thrashed upwards, clawing for the surface of the liquid. Whatever it was, I could not be in it for much longer, or I would be killed. As I swam towards the surface, I realized that the liquid was not water, but blood. And, floating in the blood, were the heads of many humans, their eyes milky and white and a terrified expression on their face. I screamed, but all that came out was a stream of bubbles, and kicked harder for the surface. I gasped as my head emerged from the water, thrashing towards the shore only a few feet away. I pulled myself onto the shore, shivering in terror and shaking the blood off of my pelt, which to my alarm was slowly growing dimmer and dimmer. I flopped onto my side, rolling over and over in the dirt in a panicked attempt to wipe the blood from my pelt. When I was done, blood spiked my fur and dust covered me completely, although my pelt wasn't growing any brighter. "Adam?" I called shakily, now totally blind without the light of my pelt. There was a reply from somewhere far above me, but I couldn't understand the words. Shaking, I padded away from the pool of blood, feeling cold to the very center of my bones. I could feel myself steadily weakening, and knew that I had the impossible task of finding some sunlight set ahead of me. The long, underground tunnel soon emerged into a wider room, although I couldn't tell what was in there. I dragged myself against the wall, feeling my legs crumpling beneath me. I rested my head on my paws, slowly feeling myself be tugged into a deep, dark blackness that I didn't want to be tugged into. It was not long before I was completely out of it.
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Post by jaggedstar on Jul 26, 2008 10:31:17 GMT -5
Chapter Eleven: Fola and Festinatio
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