The Magic Wilds: Episode 3: Wolves of the Wind

By Terrarian Pony

WARNING: Content of this story may include violence, gore, romance, same gender romance, swearing, and probably references to several video games and TV shows. This series is also written in script format. If anyone is offended by any of the content listed above, than please turn back now. You have been warned.

Introduction: Welcome to a world of magic, but humans are few, and are mostly undead. In this world, there are magical creatures who are just trying to survive, and endure the terrors of the undead, and the bureaucracy of the Pride's Alliance. But not all is bad, for in the Magic Wilds of Mythrolhia, you will always have friends to defend you.

Episodes

Previously

Next

...

Story: Terrarian Pony presents... The Magic Wilds

A Fiction Mythology Series

Episode 3

The Wolves of Wind ...

???:" The time is near. The end of an era. But the sand have stopped mid-fall in the hourglass. The enemy grows impatient, trying to bust through the walls of reality. I will not allow it. The knight searches for the ultimate power. I will not abide it. He who turns my children against me, seeks to claim my throne. I will not permit it."

''The shadowy figure lifts his gaze from the floor in front of his throne, as if speaking to a specific individual. His head and face was covered by a helmet, only revealing his eyes and his mouth. The helmet had three prongs sticking up from the front. The rest of the shadow's body was covered by a large robe, pure black, and under it was a suit of black armor.''

Ara'khan:" I am Arakhan. Here my plea, my demon. My champion. Seek the perpetrator, the knight of shadows, and dispose him. Destroy the enemy, and bring me his core. Do the bidding of your lord, and you will be rewarded."

...

Earlier that day...

It'd been an hour after her encounter with the dreaded, blood thirsty mutant, Drak. Of all the mutants she faced, none were so indestructible. Not many creatures could kill a silver wolf, let alone two, and it would have been three if the mutant let her go. Rose Thorne had just returned to the wolf den not long ago to report the deaths of Stephan and Dwarf. She was given an audience with the council of the Chimera Slayers Pack, AKA CSP. The council was made up of seven members, each with a code name depending on their role. Sometimes council member would be forced to step down, and they would initiate a replacement member in secret. Once they became a member of the council, they were to never use or inform anyone of their real names, and they would be given a hood to conceal their identity.

The first member of the council is literally called the First. The First's role is to be the first and last member member to speak. The First will announce an audience, then stay silent whilst the others speak, and then make decisions based on the council's discussion. The second member, was the Blade, who oversaw all combat training with new warriors, and decided when and where to send battle leaders and their teams. The Third is the Eye, who believe it or not, is able to tell the future, though it has always been hard to find a replacement for the Eye, and the council would sometimes have to refer to other species for this role, for instance, the current Eye is a Nekomata, with a pink coat of fur. The fourth member, the Alchemist, is a role for those who show potential in the making of magical brews, such as potions, and has a small workshop of five or six wolves with alchemical talents.

The fifth member, the Listener, has many eyes and ears throughout Mythrolhia. If anyone in the pack knows what is going on in the country, it's her. The sixth member is the Courier. You would think their role was to deliver mail, right. Close, but the Courier's real role is to "send a message" to the enemies of the pack. This may involve demolition, sabotage, assassination, or even spreading political propaganda. The seventh, and last member is the Shaman, a role that has always been hated by the other six members. The Shaman is the only wolf in the tribe who is allowed to practice acts of taboo, mainly consistent of conversing with spirits, weather good or evil. They are also allowed to anoint pilgrims to travel freely for a specific purpose, with permission from the First, as well as the high priest of the White Wolf, who is not a member of the council, but is an important figure to the more religious wolves of the pack, known as the Templars of the White Wolf of the North. The Shaman isn't very popular with them, either. The current Shaman is considered especially unlikeable, but highly persuasive. His methods would make even King Leon tremble. For some reason, this particular Shaman has decided not to where the hood, which gave the council another reason to dislike him. He didn't care.

Rose stood in front of the council with more anxiety than she let on. It was her first time speaking with the council, so she was understandably nervous. Normally it was the battle leaders, or well respected political figures within the pack who would meet with them. But since she no longer had a battle leader, she had no choice but to speak to the council directly. Present, were a small group of carefully picked observers who would observe the meeting. Also present, was the high priest, a male silver wolf named Ire, to ensure that nothing that the First would not make any decisions that would interfere with the will of the White Wolf. Ire didn't like any of the council members. He disliked their agenda, but he couldn't do anything about it. The council didn't follow his religion, or at least most of them didn't. As per tradition, Rose waited for the First to announce the nature of the meeting before speaking. He spoke in a loud, but calm tone.

First:" Thank you for your patience. This meeting is to address the events of the recent attack on the King of the Pride's Alliance, and the deaths of the soldier, Dwarf, and well respected battle leader, Stephan. The Blade has asked to start us off. This meeting is now in session.

Blade:" Rose Thorne. It has been observed that the dangerous mutant known as Drak, has murdered two members of your team, and you did nothing. Is this true?"

Rose gulped painfully, but answered as fast as her recently traumatized brain could comprehend the question.

Rose:" Y-yes, sir. I was in shock that Drak had managed to survive death. When Stephan had... dealt with him, he was nothing but a stain of blood on the ground. I have killed many... terrifying mutants, but none of them could cheat death, at least nothing as gruesome as this."

Shaman:" I agree. So how does one come back from being a puddle on the ground?"

The Blade gave him a hard stare, slightly showing teeth.

Blade:" Why don't you ask your spirits, Shaman?"

He said the name with such disdain, a curious mouse would have fled back to it's home in an instant. The Shaman replied casually, if a bit boredly.

Shaman:" Already tried that. I swear even the evil spirits are shivering at the thought of such power."

Listener:" Enough. Both of you are making my ears bleed. The two of you are going to be the death of me."

The Listener was old, and temperamental. He was, however, thrilled that he was soon being replaced, not much so, however, of whom was replacing him, but he wasn't going to let that be his problem.

Alchemist:" Miss Thorne, if I may ask..."

The Alchemist's voice was as sweet as honey, but her tone suggested she was going to be digging into personal territory.

Alchemist:" ...how was Stephan killed?"

Blade:" I hardly think that is relevant to this discussion. We should be asking why she is the only one still alive."

Alchemist:" I ask because I would like to attempt a counter to the mutant, Drak's abilities. You saw his abilities up close, and survived."

Rose:" Stephan was killed by... some sort of projectile. A kunai blade made of solid blood. Dwarf was... he was sucked dry in a mere blink of an eye."

Alchemist:" Fascinating. Err... dreadful of course. A horrible way to go. But I may be able to find a resistance to such damage."

Blade:" Back to my question. How are you still alive?"

Rose:" Drak knew I couldn't kill him. He said he wanted me to deliver a message..."

Blade:" Can you repeat it, loud for all of us to hear.

Rose:" You cannot stop what is to come. The Horde of Hunt will soon rule all of Mythrolhia. And when he does, you can either fight with us, or you will die, one by one, slowly.' Those were is his exact words."

Courier:" Mmm. I hate to be that guy, but... I think I have a newfound respect in this... Drak, was it? In any case, I would be happy to eliminate this target myself."

The current Courier was cocky. His ego was as wide as an elephant's foot. But he always got results.

Eye:" Even you can not stand up to this enemy, I'm afraid. He would kill you slowly."

Shaman:" That is because our Courier friend lacks the dark arts necessary to achieve such a feet. I, however, am immune to such taboos."

The Eye grimaced.

Eye:" Even I cannot see the outcome of such a match."

Shaman:" My dear. It's called the dark arts for a reason. The future can only see in the light."

Rose:" So then... what will we do about this threat? I was surprised before, but... I believe if I can wear him out..."

Blade:" That would be suicide. And your team's deaths would be in vain."

Eye:" Actually..."

Blade:" What is it? Can you see something? The future?"

The split-tailed cat gazed up at the ceiling of the cave room, her tail vibrating spontaneously.

Eye:" Yes. The future, AND the present. This one... she is not like other wolves. Something... drives her. I do not see what, but... oh yes. You are soldier, but that will change with time. What you say is true, something is coming. But something far worse then the undead king. You are involved somehow. I believe... I believe you can stop it. But not alone."

Rose was surprised by this. She was at a loss for words.

Blade:" I see. May I speak with the rest of council. I wish to ask something."

The First nodded. The council huddled together into a circle, and whispered between each other as to not let others hear. This went on for some time, until the circle broke, and they all went back to their spots.

First:" The council has has reached a consensus of action. Rose Thorne, please step forth."

Rose hesitantly stepped forward towards the council.

First:" Rose Thorne... by decree of the council, you are now promoted as a battle leader of the Chimera Slayers Pack, effective immediately. You will be given a team of your own, and better advanced training directly from the Blade himself. Congratulations."

Rose was excited, confused, and nervous all at once. It was good that she was being promoted, but...

First:" This meeting is now closed. Everyone else, return to your homes."

As everyone else exited the room, Rose stayed behind to speak to the council in private. She approached the First, cautiously, lowering her head in respect.

Rose:" First? I do not mean to question your wisdom, but..."

First:" You mean to question my wisdom."

Rose:" Don't get me wrong. I am grateful for the new ranking... but what of my actions in Roaran? My colleagues died, and I did nothing."

Eye:" What could you have done? The mutant was quick. Cunning. He could regenerate unnaturally. You could not have stopped it."

Shaman:" Think of it from a logical perspective. He let you live, and now you are a battle leader. You should be thanking him. Oh come now, Blade. You know I am only speaking the truth."

The Blade was scowling bitterly in the Shaman's direction. Of all the other members of the council, the Blade hated him the most.

Alchemist:" I will continue working on a resistance for Drak's blood magic. I hope you find your new position to be... helpful, in your journey."

Ire:" I detest against this promotion."

Shaman:" Dear monk. You only detest because we did not choose one of yours."

Ire:" That is not true. There are many here who are worthy of holding the title. She is not."

First:" Last I checked that is not your decision to make."

Rose:" If it makes any difference, I have a high respect for the holy White Wolf."

Ire shook his head.

Ire:" If you did, than you would not follow the bureaucracy of the council."

Blade:" Here we go again."

Ire:" A true acolyte of the White Wolf of the North, savior of the Silver Wolves, would protect the innocent, and punish the guilty."

Rose:" Is that not what we have been doing?"

Ire:" What you are doing, is prejudicial murder. The undead, those who use shadow magic, anyone with even the slightest hint of mutation."

Blade:" We are looking out for the safety of creatures. To do that, we must eliminate all alterations and variants."

Ire:" That would amount to forty percent of Mythrolhia, who have been magically altered since the unsealing."

First:" The unsealing was eight hundred years ago, and the alteration wasn't by choice."

Ire:" Some of the mutants you've killed have not had a choice. Some of them had mutated themselves to heal terminal illnesses. It is not fair to them. And if the White Wolf saw our actions, he would not stand for it."

Blade:" Hmmph. Typical."

Rose:" I'm sorry, high priest, but I believe your teachings are false. I saw the White Wolf with my own eyes. I was but a pup, and the den was attacked by mutant raiders. Mother had just been killed, and when I thought I was next, he appeared, and tore through the mutants with such a righteous anger that could only come from hatred. A hatred only soothed by the blood of such vile beasts."

Blade:" Both of you are ridiculous. There is no White Wolf."

Shaman:" I beg to differ. All legends have truth. There is a white wolf somewhere. Weather or not his legacy is righteous or prejudice is... well, up to the interpretation of the individual. "

Blade:" You're encouraging false belief."

Eye:" He is encouraging an open mind. Something you lack, my war-hardened, friend."

Shaman:" Even the Eye agrees with me."

Blade:" An open mind is about as useful as an elbow on my tail hole. I trust in facts, and physical evidence."

Ire:" Whatever the case, I know I am unable to sway your decision. However, I would like to make a request. One of my own, Cole. He is a well respected member of my flock. I would request he be assigned to miss Thorne's team."

First:" Approved."

Ire:" What's this? No objection? No bickering between your council?"

Eye:" We thought you might make such a request. I saw it as a thirty percent possibility. I was in support of approval. I agree that your teachings could benefit miss Thorne's group."

Courier:" I wouldn't say 'benefit' is the politically correct term."

Listener:" Do you ever shut up about politics?"

Courier:" Do you ever stop listening to them?"

Listener:" Fair enough."

Rose:" So... Cole is one of my teammates. Who else?"

Blade:" A young lady named Iris. She is young, but well trained. I know because I am her father. You would do well not to allow her death. And not to fill her head with your religious nonsense."

That last part made Rose wince in pain at the reminder.

First:" If there is anyone else you wish to adopt into your team, you may let the Shaman know. You'll be reporting to him."

Rose:" Not the Blade?"

Blade:" I am busy training the conscripts. As much as I hate it, the Shaman is your go-to."

First:" But do remember, anything you report will be heard by the rest of the council as well. You are dismissed, battle leader. Go with honor, go for the pack."

...

Current time...

Avery looked over her notes. Sightings of the anomalies Terran mentioned didn't seem to have any connection, other than being spotted only in the Magic Wilds. These sights, even the most recent ones, were extremely hard to find, and each one was different.

Avery: ''Someone is experimenting with shadows. It's only a matter of time before they release these shadow rifts into major cities. I still have contacts in the Pride's Alliance. Perhaps I should warn them. Hopefully the new king can be as discreet as he can draw a crowd.''

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her door.

Avery:" You may enter."

The door opened, revealing Terran on the other side. He walked in and shut the door behind him.

Avery:" Busy night?"

Terran:" Something like that. I've never seen someone so into hunting, they treat it as a sport."

Avery:" Clearly, you've never seen a young soldier of the Pride hunt. The first is always the most exhilarating."

Terran:" Remind me never to be on your bad side. So... did you figure out anything about those rifts?"

Avery:" Not much. The only connection I could find is that they have only been appearing in the Wilds. Almost nobody notices, because nobody talks about the Magic Wilds or it's inhabitants. And those that do are dismissed as delusional, or unproven, mainly due to the previous king of Law City. He has constantly provoked fear into others by keeping them safe behind walls."

Terran:" We keep our citizens safe behind walls."

Avery:" But they are free to come and go as they please. When the sixth carried the throne, creatures were forbidden from leaving occupied settlements without authorization. And if they returned, they were not speak of what they experienced. He invoked fear as a means of control. His version of history would be the correct, and only version of history. Many folks in Law City still hold his beliefs."

Terran:" But not the seventh. That's why he created the Pride Guard, isn't it?"

Avery:" The seventh is a good king, but also foolish. He thinks that proving the truth will allow everyone to accept him. But even those who see the truth can still be blind-sighted."

Terran:" I don't know. I think given time, they can be more willing to accept the truth."

Avery smiled.

Avery:" Always the optimist."

Terran:" Well, to say I'm an optimist is a stretch. I don't always believe creatures can do the right thing. Often times I start to lose sight of hope. But there are small things that change my mind, so... I wouldn't say I'm a pessimist either. And I don't believe in realism. Realists believe everything they think is true. They aren't open minded to other creature's opinions, and they aren't willing to listen to anyone who says something they believe to be controversial."

Avery:" I had no idea we had a psychiatrist in the guild. Perhaps I should reassign you to our therapy department."

Terran:" That's a thing?"

Avery:" Not yet. Anyways, I have a few theories. Someone is experimenting with shadow magic in controlled, yet secluded environments, trying to come to a specific result before releasing a public variant. This is just one theory. Another is that they are using these rifts as smokescreen for a different project. However, I have not come by any tangible evidence regarding that one."

Terran:" Or maybe they're clearing plots of land for Realestate?"

Avery:" That wouldn't make sense. There are much easier ways to... oh. You were joking."

Terran:" Weeeeell, maybe a little, but we can't dismiss any possibilities."

Avery:" Don't quit your night job. Trust me on this one."

Terran:" So what are we going to do about all this?"

Avery:" Well, seeing as we have no way of tracking these rifts as they appear, there isn't much we can do, aside from letting the Pride know about our findings."

There was another knock on the door.

Avery:" You may enter."

A young adult wolf walked in. He was wearing a rather interesting device on his chest, as if it were a piece of armor. He was small for a young adult wolf. His coat was mainly a shade of light grey, almost a silvery tone. His back fur along with the upper half of his face, was a darker grey, and his paws were white. His eyes were a cyan blue. He spoke with a nervous tone.

Wags:" Umm... h-hello? My name is Ace, but my friends call me Wags. I normally prefer Wags."

Avery:" I see. If you have a request, you can always leave it in the request box. Me or my assistant check it periodically."

Wags:" A-actually, I was hoping I could join your guild's fusion department? If um... if you have one."

Avery:" I'm afraid we do not. Is there any particular reason you were hoping we did?"

Wags:" Well, see I'm a researcher and inventor of magitech fusion. Um... the science of magic and technology hybridization?"

Avery:" I am well aware of the properties of fusion tech. But why here? Why not work for a corporation like MageTech Industries?"

Wags:" I already tried that for a while, but the problem was that I was restricted to low level projects and resources. I want to test the limits of my potential. Umm... under supervision if needed. And I'm hoping to revolutionize fusion technology."

Avery:" You sound very ambitious."

Wags:" I'm not going to lie. I am ambitious. Maybe a little overly ambitious. But if I'm not, than who else will?"

Terran:" Do you at least have some sort of safety precautions?"

Wags:" Of course. I wouldn't test any of my gadgets unless I was certain it was safe. But even still, failure is the gateway to success."

Terran:" I like his attitude. Can we keep him?"

Avery:" Hold on there. I still have a few questions of my own. Tell me, Wags. I'm quite curious. What is that device you have there."

She pointed a claw at the device on his chest. It was a clean white, with straps like a harness to keep it in it's place. There was a yellow glow coming from it's center. Wags' tail began to sway back and forth in excitement.

Wags:" I was hoping you would ask that! This is a magical essence amplifier, or M.E.A. for short. It's my most prized invention yet."

Avery:" Interesting. What does it do?"

Wags:" You know how all creatures, weather or not they were born magical abilities, all of them have a small bit of magical essence inside of them due to the presence of excess mana? Well, this device uses an elemental source that amplifies that magical essence by a hundred percent, so that creatures who have a hard time learning magic can still use elemental magic with better ease. It still takes time to learn to control, but it help with those without magic who feel unprotected in a world surrounded by magic."

Avery:" Very impressive. But I am still concerned about the safety of my guild members."

Wags:" I thought of that, too. If I ever have to work on something that might be dangerous, I could do it in a secluded environment. I even have plans to build a safe room that I can work in for the more... sensitive projects."

Avery:" You really have thought of everything, haven't you?"

Terran:" Wait a minute. Avery. Remember what we were talking about before he came in? You said we have no way to track the shadow rifts as they appear. But what if he can?"

Avery:" You make a good point. Can you invent a device that tracks anomalies?"

Wags grinned widely.

Wags:" I've already created something that does just that! It can track ley lines, energy surges, magical energy surges..."

Avery:" Can it track inter dimensional rifts?"

Wags:" Hmm... with some fine tuning, yeah. I could definitely make it do that."

Avery:" Well then, I believe we now, have fusion department."

Wags:" So does that mean I got the job?"

Avery:" There is... one other thing. All guild members are required to be willing and able to perform in the field. Would you be willing to go on a field mission if I told you to?"

Wags frowned a little.

Wags:" I suppose not, but... I'm not very combative. M.E.A. was built specifically for self defense purposes, not to start a fight."

Avery:" I understand that completely. Our guild does not go looking for fights, and we don't involve ourselves in military affairs unless we are desperate. But sometimes you may be called to the field for technical problems, and you may have to defend yourself in the process."

Wags looked a little less bothered after hearing that.

Wags:" Oh, well I suppose that's understandable. Yeah. I can do field work."

Avery:" Good. You're first job starts tomorrow. You'll be working closely with Terran. He and his team will be investigating the rifts I mentioned earlier. Night shift isn't a problem is it?"

Wags:" Of course not! I enjoy the quiet of the night."

Terran:" With us, there's no such thing as a quiet night."

... Rose looked over her new team. Cole was tall for a silver wolf. Silver wolves are known to be shorter than most other wolves, but Cole was easily the size of a gray wolf, but slightly skinnier, with a slightly longer neck. Many silver wolves have a neck of average length for a wolf. Cole wore a small, white, transparent veil around his neck, as well as a necklace with a charm of a depiction of the "White Wolf of the North", known as a sort of deity among the more religious silver wolves. He also wore a band around his left foreleg, with a crescent moon charm hanging from it.

Iris seemed a bit more fierce, but also disciplined. She wore a leather strap around her waist, which held a dagger, sheathed on her left side. The dagger's handle was forged in the shape of a viper head. On her other side, tied to the strap, were a bunch of vials filled with poison to lace the dagger with. Poison wasn't a common theme for silver wolves, but some prefer a more subtle approach. For Iris, it's more a matter of slitting her opponent while they cough up a lung, making it easier to kill them. Even when wielding a physical weapon, silver wolves can use their unique type of magic to manipulate the molecules of an object, just as they do with their own bodies to travel by the wind, as long as they are in physical contact with the object. Iris also had green paint around her eyes for intimidation.

Rose:" I expect great effort from the two of you. I also expect both of you to do as I say. But I also expect you to survive the best you can. No heroics. If a battle tips in the enemy's favor and I tell you to retreat, that is a direct order. I will not tolerate insubordination. Do I make myself clear?"

Iris:" I wonder. If your so great at giving orders, how come your previous team was killed. How do I know I can trust you with my life."

Rose stared down at the young adult wolf.

Rose:" Last time, I was not in charge. My battle leader spent three years chasing down a mutant for a personal vendetta. I will make sure you stay alive because I do not possess a need for vengeance. I will not hesitate, and I will teach you the same. I will make you unstoppable even if I have to bite your legs 'til they bleed. Even if I have to make you sharpen your teeth with sticks and stones, because we cannot fail. We cannot die."

Rose:" If we die, our beliefs die with us. We have to fight, and we have to win. But more than anything. We have to survive. We are wolves. Survival is in our nature. If we don't survive, we will doom our species. Then we'll end up like the dragons, living in the wastes of a dead land, searching desperately for food, water, or worse, we'll be extinct. I am not going to let that happen. It is our duty to make sure we survive."

Iris didn't say anything, but she glanced to her left, then back at her superior, sitting tall at attendance, and nodding once in sincerity, moved by the words of her battle leader. Rose nodded back, then turned her attention to Cole, standing in front of him.

Rose:" Anything you would like to say? Or shall we continue."

Cole:" As long as I am allowed to continue practicing my beliefs, I have no objections to you being my battle leader."

Rose:" As long as it does not interfere with our mission, you can practice whatever you want."

Cole:" Our mission is the survival of our species. It should be easy enough to follow."

Rose:" Good. Because we have been assigned a new target. An elemental shifter, named Rumor."

…

Tundra was still feeling the lingering effects of the wine as she exited Recaro De’Pier’s hunting lodge. After the feast, she hung around a while to get herself drunk on some of the finest wine from the Fishron Islands.

Recaro:” Are you sure you don’t need an escort to take you home? I’d be happy to do so myself, for a pretty thing like you.”

Tundra giggled.

Tundra:” It’s a nice offer, but I’ll be purrfectly fine. Besides, you and I both know you’re married to the competition. It would never work out.”

Recaro:” It’s as if you known me so well. I hope to see you again at my restaurant my dear.”

Tundra:” Goodbye De’Pier.”

She smiled as she walked away, sipping the last of her drink, and tossing it behind her letting Recaro catch it as she walked off. Recaro couldn’t help but chuckle to himself.

Tundra walked down to a nearby lake to splash herself with water to sober herself a little. As she did, she thought she could hear howling, but it was very soft, even though it sounded close. Tundra grimaced.

Tundra:” Must be the wind, or maybe… maybe it’s just my imagination.”

She began to walk back to the guild. She’d learned to trek across Mythrolhia on her own since she and her siblings joined the guild. As she walked, she couldn't help but feel she was being followed. She felt something sharp brush past her legs and winced. She brought up her paw and saw a small, thick line of crimson red. A wolf began to materialize right next to her, maw wide open, ready to sink it's teeth into her. Luckily, Rumor was quick to take control, the mutant vessel shifting to Rumor's form. Rumor quickly disappeared into thin air, leaving the female wolf confused. Rumor reappeared on a tree branch behind the wolf.

Rumor had performed a blink, which is basically a short ranged teleportation spell, allowing the user to quickly evade attacks, or appear on the other side of a large gap. The spell however, only works within the user's field of view, and won't work if you're trying to appear beyond a solid structure. Doing so would require a more advanced spell. Another wolf, this one male, and much larger than the first, materialized right above her, grabbing her and breaking the branch beneath her paws, sending them both falling to the ground, and crushing Rumor beneath the wolf. He bit down hard on her shoulder, and she screamed in pain. Trying to stay conscious, she began to release a large amount of chaos energy, pushing him off of her, and into the tree.

Unfortunately, the two spells she used had drained Rumor's magic a lot, and she needed to recharge. This was complicated, however, seeing as the only chaos energy to siphon would be from was the ones attacking her. Running away, she decided the best course of action was to switch places with one of her siblings. There was a river nearby. Zippy could swim in and evade them.

Rumor: ''Zippy! I need your help!''

Rumor's body began to shift again, changing from grey to a pale green color. Zippy was part cat, and part fish. Instead of fur, her body was covered in scales. She had four feline legs, but also a fish tail. Her face was catlike, but her two whiskers were more thick and fleshy, like that of a catfish, or a koi. Zippy hurried and hopped into the river, and began swimming furiously with the current. Just as she thought she was safe, one of the wolves grabbed her from the water, and threw her into a nearby tree. After hitting the tree, Zippy became dazed. As she recovered, she saw the face of her assailant. It was another female wolf. This one was bigger than the first female, and slightly smaller than the male. The other two wolves materialized on either side of her, singling her out as the leader. The smaller female began to speak to her in a young adult tone.

Iris:" I'll take care of this one, battle master!"

Rose:" No, Iris. This one is too unpredictable. Best to use the blender cyclone, while it's exhausted."

Rose raised a paw, and Zippy was suddenly surrounded by what looked like a wall of wind. Zippy reached out curiously, and instantly regretted it, pulling back her bleeding paw, and licking it in panic.

Zippy:" OWOWOW!"

Iris:" Careful. It's sharp."

Rose:" That's enough. It ends here."

The wind wall began to shrink, and close in on Zippy. Panicking, she began to hyperventilate, and burst into tears.

Zippy:" NO! I don't want to die! WAAAAAH!

Rumor: ''Mystery! Quick!"''

Zippy transformed into Mystery, and Mystery used the shade of the tree to slip into to avoid a bloody death.

Cole:" Where did she go?"

Rose:" It transformed into a shadow! Cut down all the trees in the area!"

The wolves used their wind magic to cut through the nearby trees, exposing Mystery to the sun, and forcing him out of hiding. As soon as he was exposed, Iris lunged forward, and pinned the feline beneath her paws. Mystery struggled to escape, but to no avail. Iris pulled her knife, chuckling between her teeth and the blade when all of a sudden, the area around them was covered in shade. Confused, Iris looked back, and her eyes widened at the sight of the water being raised from the river. The water consumed the wolves, and brought them back into the river, forcing them down stream screaming in a panic.

Mystery was panting from the battle, shifting back to Rumor, who was panting as well. A moment later, another elementine, older than Rumor and her siblings approached her. She looked much like Zippy, aside from the dark blue coloration, and blue eyes. The only other difference was the stalk sticking out of her head, a glowing bulb hanging from it. She smiled at the exhausted Rumor.

Rumor:" M-mother Seeker?"

Seeker:" It's alright, darling. Mommy Seeker is here. Sleep now."

Assured of her safety, Rumor slipped into a well deserved slumber.

To be continued...