The Magic Wilds: Episode 4: Dungeons

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 4

Dungeons ...

Ara'Khan:" My demon. My Champion. The shadow realm is falling apart. Even as I speak to you, my strength fades. I cannot hold it for long. The shadow knight. He has created a way to send abominations to the world you reside. These abominations, I have cast out, and imprisoned, and they have become bitter, resentful of me. Help me return these beasts to the Umbra, my prison of shadows, and save both realms from total collapse. And if the knight appears to stop you, eliminate him, at any cost. My demon... my champion... save your homes."

...

Rose and her team were all wet from their river ride. Iris was most infuriated, she almost lost her precious dagger in the midst of all the current. Cole was more irritated then angry. Rose kept calm, however. She would not allow vengeance to cloud her judgment.

Iris:" When I find that element shifting little turd, I'm going to make her wish she was dead! I'm going to claw her eyes out, and force-feed them to her!"

Cole:" And here I thought the Blade was barbaric. Have I entered world where killing isn't enough? We have to make our targets suffer as well?"

Iris:" I don't want make her suffer, I want make her feel pure pain! "

Cole: *Sigh* "It's all the same. It doesn't matter now, as we've lost our target."

Iris:" We wouldn't have lost it, if we knew it's abilities."

Rose:" That is why I told you we should wait. We needed to figure out exactly what we were dealing with. Instead, you charged in like a brute. I told you, no heroics. Now she's on to us."

Iris:" You expect me wait while my target is alone, and unsuspecting? That's minotaur crap."

Rose:" As tedious as it may be, I expect you follow orders. You were trained by your father for crying out loud. You should know better."

Iris:" Don't speak to me of my father. He trained me to be a weapon, and then left my mother for some pilgrimage, or trial, or whatever the council calls it. He was a warrior first, and a father last. That's how he became the Blade."

Rose:" You should be grateful your father was there for you at all. I never had a father. I was abandoned before birth, and abused by my mother. No parent is perfect, but your father cared enough to teach you survival, to take care of yourself. I learned this on my own."

Iris:" That doesn't change anything. You are a disciple of the White Wolf of the North. You should know better than anyone, it's dishonor to walk out on one's child before they are ready."

Rose wanted to say something, but silently she felt choked up by mention of that particular tenet, made clear by the White Wolf himself. She tried not to show it, and for the most part, Iris didn't seem to notice.

Cole:" He must have thought you were ready. He trained you, gave you knowledge, left you wealth. If he didn't care, would he have done these things?"

Iris:" Stupid priest. What do you know, you follow your religion without question. Your sheep in wolves' clothing."

Cole:" Well, there's no need to rude about it."

Rose:" Just follow my orders next time, and this will not happen again."

Cole:" I've been meaning to ask. Is this mutant a real criminal? Or are we chasing another scared and unfortunate victim?"

Rose:" Oh she's a criminal, alright. Perhaps you've heard of Moonglow Village massacre? It was a small settlement, full of werewolves, peacefully growing, harvesting, and trading moonglow. This mutant took control of the element of fire... and burned the entire village to the ground. Men, women, children... all dead by the claws of this monster. Tell me, does that not sound like an unfortunate victim to you to you?"

Cole:" Say we are doing the right thing..."

Rose:" We are. I have no doubt about it. Rumor is the epiphany of everything we despise about her kind."

Cole:" Not all mutants are like that."

Iris:" I'm with the battle leader on this one. Mutation is a blight on society."

Rose:" Altering one's physical body is crime punishable by death. Those are words from the White Wolf himself."

Cole:" Actually, the scripture's exact words were 'To alter one's physical body in the pursuit of power, is an offense to nature, and a crime punishable by death.' The scripture also says 'Survival is necessary, even if we must defy nature."

Rose:" Meaning power is something to be earned, not forced. And we cannot rely on faith alone to heal our wounds. That is why we use medicine."

Cole:" Sometimes regular medicine isn't enough. The body must be forcefully adapted to it's unique situation."

Rose:" I will hear of this no more. We must find our target."

...

Rumor opened her eyes, slowly. She was still recover from near death trauma, but she was relieved to feel herself wrapped in the warm embrace of a comfy blanket, laying on her side facing a wall. As she rolled onto her back, she recognized the figure of Zippy's mom, Seeker, sitting on the bed next to her.

Seeker:" Hello sweetie. How are you feeling?"

Rumor:" Mother Seeker? Is that you? Where am I?"

Rumor tried to move, but Seeker pushed her gently back down in the bed.

Seeker:" Yes, dearie. It's me. Don't move, okay? You're home. You're safe."

Rumor:" How long have I..."

Seeker:" About two hours. Everyone else was worried."

Rumor:" Two hours? My friends. They'll worry if I don't report in. I got to get back to the guild."

Rumor tried to finesse her way out of bed by jumping over Seeker, but Seeker quickly snatched her up by her neck fur with her mouth, paralyzing her so she can't escape. Seeker giggled through Rumor's fur.

Seeker:" Now now. You can get back to your friends when you get all better."

Rumor:" B-b-but..."

Seeker gently set her back onto the pillow.

Seeker:" If you need to, you can call them and let them know you're okay. But your recovery comes first. You were just attacked by a bunch of wolves that managed to pin you down."

Rumor:" How did you find me anyways?"

Seeker:" Doctor Mutie planted a tracker inside you that monitors your vitals, and let's us know when you are in distress."

Rumor:" I work for a guild! I'm under stress all the time! How did you know I was in trouble at that moment?"

Seeker:" You know that Markus has foresight abilities."

Rumor sighed.

Rumor:" Okay. But do I really need to stay in bed? I'm hungry."

Seeker:" I'll go get you something. You need your rest. I left some mana milk on your nightstand, help you regain your strength."

Rumor looked down at the glass pale blue milk on her nightstand as Seeker made her way out of the room. Liquid mana alone is unsafe for consumption. Blended with milk, and variety of other ingredients, however, it was safe, tasty, and helped with gaining personal body, and magic strength. Rumor picked up the glass, and started lapping at the milk with her tongue. Putting down the glass, she took in the sight of her old kitty room.

The walls were painted blue, and the carpet a tan color. She noticed her guild bag, and grabbed it, and went back to her bed, pulling out a small magic mirror. She had a shelf of old toys, ranging from balls of yarn, to dangling feathers. When she and her siblings were little, her favorite toy was a pink, plush mouse. Now that she was older, it seemed silly that to play around with a toy mouse, but even now, there was always that sneaking desire in the back of her mind telling her to pounce, and toss it around, and carry it in her teeth. She realized that it was only a base instinct.

When creatures without magic were pets for humans, "house cats" were like pest exterminators. Of course, today, she would never try to tear apart a mouse, just out of instinct. Most creatures have learned to ignore these sorts of instincts, unlike their feral counter parts who live in the wilds.

Rumor relaxed in bed. The blanket was a dark blue, and the pillow beneath her head was dark green, and really soft. The mirror rippled as she pressed the glass with a paw. A selection of applications and games that she uses to help her fall asleep during the day. She went into her contacts and called Terran. The mirror rippled again, and Terran's face appeared in the mirror.

Terran:" Rumor! Where have you been, we were worried. We were just about to go and find you."

Rumor:" Hey Terran. I'm fine. I'm at our parents' place. I got attacked though, and I might need some time off with my folks."

Terran:" Attacked? Well... o-of course. I'll let Avery know. Who attacked you?"

Rumor:" No idea. They were wolves, but they weren't like any wolves I've ever seen. They're fast, too. As if they were moving between the wind."

Terran:" Are you okay? Are you hurt? Should we come over?"

Rumor:" We'll be fine. We just need to recover."

Terran:" Okay. Well... hey, we got a new recruit today."

Rumor:" Really? Who are they?"

Terran:" His name is Ace, or Wags is what he likes to be called. He's our official magitech fusion engineer."

Rumor:" You mean artificial magic."

Terran:" Well yes. That's not going to be a problem is it?"

Rumor:" I don't know. Maybe. I just don't like the idea of someone tampering with something they don't understand."

Terran:" We use artificial magic all the time. We're using it to communicate right now."

Rumor:" That's different. Magic mirrors were invented by magicborn creatures."

Terran:" Who were also dabbling in magic they didn't fully understand. Sometimes you have to take risks. It's that part of life we live by all the time as guilders."

Rumor:" I guess. Well, I can't wait to meet him."

Terran:" I'm sure he feels the same. He seems to have a fascination with feline creatures."

Rumor:" I'm not sure if I should be flattered, or frightened by that, so I'm gonna remain neutral until I meet him. I'll see ya."

Terran:" Take care, Rumor."

The call ended, and she put the mirror in her bag, thoughtfully. Fusion was now a common practice by magic and non-magic creatures. It's a big debate weather or not magitech fusion is dangerous or not. Some creatures believe it could even destabilize reality. In theory, it could, if that was the purpose. But even Rumor knew better than to believe anyone could do such a thing on accident. As a magicborn, she saw it as a sort of desecration of mana using old world human technologies.

She knew she shouldn't hate it just because of human intervention, but she couldn't help but think that if humans weren't that bad, how come there aren't many left? But then she remembers... magic was sealed by the blood of a willing dragon, and a willing human. This was done to end a feud between the two species. This was done in the purpose of leaving dragons magicless. They were mighty in form, and yet still nothing without their magic. For thousands since, dragons have hidden themselves underground to hide, eventually erasing any knowledge of existence from the world above. This act between one individual from two different species saved the world.

A millennia or so later, they reemerged, and not under a friendly banner. All that time underground, they'd been preparing, waiting for the time to strike. Even without their magic, they'd done such considerable damage. After a short war, another willing dragon, along with another willing human, gave blood to unseal magic once more, causing a sudden evolution in many animalistic species. It wasn't a natural evolution, but one of necessary one. The change gave animals magic. Yes, the dragon got their magic back, but humans soon began to learn it as well. This left an impasse. Dragons could survive in harsh conditions, so many of them migrated towards the badlands, making homes in many desolate parts of the world.

Five hundred years later, these accommodations were decidedly subpar to the dragons, and another war erupted, this time with many human and dragon lives destroyed. Thankfully, there were magicborn creatures willing to save the humans. Humanity, for all it's faults, was saved once again by nature. But even then, all of sudden, humans just disappeared. This was ninety eight years ago. Nobody knows where they went, or why a few humans were left behind.

Many had theorized the dragons cast some sort of spell to destroy them. Other theories suggest that magicborns had cast a spell to saved them. Whatever the case, they were gone, and if they were still around, no one had even one clue to tell them where to start looking. Rumor wasn't concerned about it, however. There was nothing she could do about it.

Minutes later, Seeker returned with a platter, on it, a tuna fish sandwich, and some more mana milk. The warm scent hit Rumor's nose the instant she stepped in the room. She felt a bit like a kitten again, being served a meal in bed. Seeker watched as she dug into the sandwich, giggling at the younger cat. Turns out, she was really hungry, even after the meal that Tundra had at the hunter's lodge. This is possibly due to the fact that she'd been knocked unconscious for a while.

Despite sharing one vessel, Rumor wasn't a shifter. When Rumor's siblings are sent out, the controlling sibling's spirit is sent to a place they called the Chaos Pocket, literally a pocket dimension created, and maintained by Rumor's magic. And since there is only one vessel, only one of them can remain outside of the pocket at once, and therefore they share the same meals. That being said, each individual spirit carries a different magical aura. Yes, the body itself is born of magic, but it is the spirit that carries the element. Naturally, this means that each sibling can still control their original element. As for the reason the vessel is able to transform when their spirit is sent into it, the vessel is made of pure chaotic magic, therefore the spirit of each sibling transforms the body to accommodate for the spirit currently in control.

Without Rumor, the Chaos Pocket would vanish, and with it, her siblings would be forced apart, and eventually succumb to their illness and die. Or at least that was Doctor Mutie's theory, but Rumor wasn't about to go and test it. Thinking on the subject, Rumor had an idea that could get her out of this room.

Rumor:" I'm sure the others would appreciate seeing their children."

Rumor had a spell she could use to bring out all her siblings at once. Unfortunately, each of them could only be seen in an ethereal shape, as their bodies had been merged to create Rumor. But this spell used up a lot of chaotic energy, and she could only hold it for an hour or so, and it would cause Rumor to become very exhausted. Seeker shook her head.

Seeker:" They can wait. You're already tired enough. Using such a taxing spell like that could cause you to black out again."

Rumor:" Wouldn't you like to see Zippy again?"

Seeker:" I would love to see Zippy. But what you all need right now is rest. I'll have all the in the world to see my precious little fish."

Rumor deflated again.

Seeker:" I know your eager to get out of this room. But the last thing I want is you hurting yourself. Alright?"

Seeker leaned in, and kissed Rumor's forehead. Rumor looked up at her with a small smile. Seeker wasn't her real mother. Rumor didn't have any biological parents, having been created by magic, and mutated into a physical form. But each of her siblings' parents, they each cared for Rumor as if she were theirs. Even before the mutation, Seeker cared for Zippy alone, Zippy's father having mysteriously disappeared a month before. Marcus and Meryl, Mystery's parents, are both shadow elementines like him. They're very mischievous, but they love their son, more than anything. Arctic and Glacier, Tundra's parents, descend from a lineage of rich, but humble ice folk. Despite their high society attitude, they are very kind, but can also be very vindictive when crossed, especially towards anyone who dares to harm their little girl. Flash, Blaze's father, has always been there to help Rumor and her siblings grow up, despite not being able to see his own son. After Moonglow, Blaze's mother, Fury, left Flash, her son, and everyone else. Ever since, Flash and Seeker had grown much closer to each other, but have been avoiding any romantics, despite their obvious feelings for each other.

Rumor was happy at least something good came out of the Moonglow situation. She always resented Fury, and her selfish actions. Always blaming Rumor for everything. It wasn't her fault Blaze got sick. It wasn't her decision to take on the responsibility of being the most essential sibling. Before Moonglow, Rumor would sometimes cry herself to sleep after getting an earful from Fury, but both Seeker and Flash were always there to wipe away her tears. Fury's departure from the household was the best thing that ever happened to this big, complicated family. Rumor felt bad not being able to allow Flash to see his biological son, but he never blamed her. He knew it was better this way.

As Seeker left the room again, Rumor finished her sandwich, and went to sleep. She knew Seeker was right. She needs rest. It was the best thing for them right now.

...

Wags' claws tip tapped on the floor beneath his paws, as he made his way towards the Guild Master's Office. It was still midday, but he thought it may be important enough to take to her. Wags pushed the door open with a paw, and immediately regretted it.

Avery:" Knock first."

The wolf shyly closed the door, and knocked twice, and waited until he heard Avery say "Enter." He opened the door, and walked into the room.

Wags:" S-sorry, Guildmaster. Normally I would knock first, that's how I was raised. B-but I got excited when I got a ping, and well... you'll want to see this!"

Avery didn't say anything, but got up to follow him. Ace had chosen the guild storage basement as his workspace. It was spacey, big enough for big equipment, and there were things here he could use for minor projects. Terran and Lost followed him down as well to see what was going on. Wags presented to them a large device, with a bunch of monitors and other equipment they didn't really understand. He pressed some buttons on a keyboard designed for the use of paws, and the monitors flickered with all kinds of data that went way over their heads. Wags pointed at one of the monitors, which seemed to display a map of Mythrolhia. He pointed at a big, purple dot which was placed over the Maulburry Woods.

Wags:" Here! I found an untouched anomaly here, in the Maulburry Woods, inside a temple of Ara'Khan! And guess what."

He tapped the keyboard again, and some wavy lines popped up on one of the monitors, next to the monitor with the map, and then turned to them expectantly. To his own fault, he realized, they looked at the monitor with tilted heads, and looks of confusion. He chuckled nervously, and then explained.

Wags:" These lines represent certain elements inside anomalies. This purple line here shows the amount of shadow energy coming from this particular anomaly."

Many of the color-coded lines moved slightly in long bursts, while others moved in more frequent, and repetitive bursts. The purple line was zigzagging all over, indicating that there was likely a large amount of shadow energy coming from this particular anomaly.

Terran:" So you've found a shadow rift?"

Wags:" Can't promise anything, but I think so."

Avery:" Can you estimate how long this anomaly will be active?

Wags:" The machine estimates it's been active for at least twenty seven hours. Judging by the strength of the frequency, I would say it'll last another four."

Avery:" Very well, then we have no time to waste. Terran, you and your team..."

She stopped, and looked around.

Avery:" Where is Rumor?"

Terran:" She's gonna need some time off. Something happened on her way home, and she needs rest."

Avery:" I see. Then you and the rest of your available team will investigate the anomaly."

Lost:" Last time, Rumor used chaos magic to close the anomaly. But we don't have any other chaos benders in our party."

Wags:" Not to worry. I can rig M.E.A. to bend chaos magic. I just need a diamond gemstone that'll fit."

Lost:" What's a M.E.A?"

Terran:" And where do you propose we find something like that?"

Wags:" You mean... you don't just keep gemstones lying around?"

Lost:" What do we look like? Hoarding dragons?"

Wags:" Oh boy. This may get complicated."

Avery:" There is a jewelry shop in town, next the black smith. I'm sure you'll find what you need there."

Terran:" This will certainly burn a whole in my flask. Hope that device of yours is worth it."

Wags:" Eheh. Not the best way to start a first mission I suppose."

...

After getting their paws on a diamond large enough to fit the M.E.A. device, Terran, Lost, and Wags made the trek to Maulburry Woods. Wags was carrying around some sort of monitoring device by a handle in between his teeth. He explained it was a way to track specified genetic sources of magical elements. Terran didn't understand the science, but he was pretty sure he got the general idea. As they moved through the woods, the device began to show higher spikes, indicating they were getting close. And just as he thought that, there it was. The Maulburry Temple of Ara'Khan. It had an ancient design, made from grey-colored stone. The temple was set into a mountain, which loomed over Maulburry Woods.

Terran was thankful not to encounter any wild creatures or beasts roaming the woods, but he was also worried about that. When wild creatures don't appear in the Magic Wilds, one has cause for concern, as it likely mean the area has been tainted by some sort of unnatural event. Wild creatures are more intelligent than most civilized creatures give them credit for. They can sense when something isn't right, or if something is amiss. Many wild creatures are drawn towards familiarity, and grow uneasy when their territories are disturbed.

Terran:" Something isn't right. It has to be whatever is in that temple. If it's a shadow rift, we need figure out what's causing it, or close it. before it does any further damage"

Lost:" And if it's not?"

Terran:" We'll just have to figure it out. Let's go."

They began to move, towards inside the temple. Even now, Terran was feeling chills down his spine. Despite his core element being ice, Terran had felt frozen last time he was inside a shadow beast. This is likely due to the fact that shadows don't aren't necessarily associated with cold temperatures, but that they are emotionally self-actualizing. Terran has noticed it before around Mystery. Whenever his mood aggressive, his aura feels like a hot oven, as opposed to when he is affectionately rubbing up against someone, his aura is warm. The shadow beast Terran was consumed by, harbored every negative emotion known to sentient creatures. Anger, fear, despair, greed, helplessness, possibly even sadness. All these negative emotions, Terran could feel them emanating from in and outside the beast, causing it to feel cold, and empty.

Terran felt that same coldness here as he entered the temple. The temple was dark, as expected. Both Lost and Terran could see in the dark, one being undead, the other being a naturally nocturnal creature. Wags however, didn't have that luxury. Thankfully, Terran had a spell he could use called frostfire, which was exactly how sounded. A bright blue flame flickered from his paw. He held it out to see the path in front of them so Wags wouldn't fall behind. It was a good candle light, but in combat, it was devastating, even more so than regular fire, and water proof as well. Still, Terran couldn't help but feel uncomfortable in this temple, dedicated to the deity shadows, so he struck up a conversation as they went along, looking for any traps laying around.

Terran:" So Wags, what was diamond for exactly."

Wags:" Oh, well see M.E.A. can only project elemental magics, and certain gemstones carry elemental properties within. Though, the popular a theory they didn't always carry it. Of course, before the unsealing there was no magic."

Terran:" And yet, humans used electricity and radioactive material send signals and power their devices."

Wags:" True. But science and magic are really complicated. So much so, that it would take twenty chapters just to explain the difference between technology, and artificial magic, as both use similar properties. Although, I've never even heard of radiation magic, which leaves a pretty big range of questions regarding the topic that I have yet to have answers for."

Terran:" So you really like the concept of magic. Why not just learn magic then?"

Wags frowned, lowering his head

Wags:" The truth is, I am incapable of real magic. I've even tried exposing myself to mana by resting in a mana pool, but I don't have any natural magical essence. I have to rely on liquid mana flowing through the essence amplifier to channel any real magic. I didn't tell you because... because I was afraid you wouldn't let me join."

Terran:" That's just ridiculous. We're not a magic-only guild. Plenty of our members don't use magic. Look at Avery! She's the pinnacle of our community, and she doesn't use magic."

Wags:" But she could if she wanted to. That's what I'm getting at. Most normal creatures, they have at least some magic essence inside of them, that they can learn to concentrate, with hard work, and determination. I have no magic essence inside me. Like it's been drained at birth. Makes me think I was birthed by one of those snot noses in Law City. I hear do that to their children."

Terran:" Don't be afraid to speak up in Spring Borough. Everyone there is kind, and understanding."

Lost:" Tell that to Gunnar. I don't think he got the memo."

Terran:" He's nice. He's just got a stick up his butt."

Lost:" That's not an image I wanted."

Terran:" You're brain is rotting anyway."

Lost:" Rotting? It's turned to dust. Can't get anymore rotten than tha-uh..."

There was a pressure plate sound, and Lost looked under his own paw.

Lost:" Woops."

Six stone heads, with holes in the mouths large enough to fit a projectile arrow, were revealed inside the walls on either side.

Terran:" Duck!"

Everyone laid down to ground level, front paws above their heads, as a volley of arrows was shot from the mouths of the stone heads. The arrows came to a sudden stop, the dispensers seemingly empty. Everyone sighed a breath of relief. Terran hated Dungeons. Dungeon are dangerous, usually riddled with traps, cages with dead bodies, or undead hostiles. Many were breeding grounds for imps. Imps are small, rat-like beasts, but they're larger, and use fire magic.

Wags:" That was close."

Terran:" Mind being a little more careful, Lost?"

Lost:" My bad. I didn't see it."

Wags:" Hey guys, I think I see light."

Terran:" Light? In a temple like this?"

Wags:" Yeah, down this hall!"

They went down the hall, towards the light, and entered into a large room, made with dark red brick, and lit up by bright, orange lamps on each corner of the room. In the middle of the room was some sort of fancy fountain. The fountain was a circle shape, and sticking out inside it were a bunch of smaller fountains, but they weren't spewing any water. The fountain was completely dry. There was a split in the middle, where the fountain would collect two different liquids.

Wags:" Oh wow! It's a resting fountain! These were created in ancient times to heal wounds and replenish mana!"

Terran:" Yeah, but it looks inactive, though. We won't be able to use it."

Wags:" Not a problem! I got this!"

Wags took a look at the fountain, and opened a panel on the outer rim.

Wags:" Here's the problem. The circuitry has been bumped loose. Easy fix. Need to re-route the mana flow into this mana crystal. This doohickey could use some fine tuning, and... there!"

The fountain began to spew some kind of liquid from both sides, drop into the smaller plates below, and down into the big bowl of the fountain, which collected the liquids for the fountain to spew out again. The green liquid was life essence, commonly found in life fruit to replenish ones strength. In liquid form, it had immediate, almost miraculous effects. The blue liquid was mana. Simply putting your hands, or paws in it would quickly replenish your magic energy, but it wasn't safe to drink without a certain blend. The two colored waters illuminated the room more, as if trying to be the most beautiful thing in the room, and it was working.

Terran:" Wow! Great work, Wags."

Wags:" Heh. Thanks."

Terran:" I'm glad Avery put you with us, instead of some rando team. You have a special talent."

Wags smiled at the compliment. The three of them decided to take a rest before going down the next dark hall.

...

Rumor laid in bed, resting. Recovering. At the same time, she was twitching. Something bothered her. She heard a voice in her head, but it wasn't talking to her.

???:" My Champion... falling apart... cannot hold it for long. The shadow knight... These abominations, I have cast out, and imprisoned.. return these beasts to the Umbra... eliminate him, at any cost... save your homes."

Mystery was forcing control of Rumor's vessel. She couldn't hold him back. Her body was being consumed by Mystery's shadow. After the Mystery was finished shifting the vessel, he lifted the sheet off of himself, and made his way to the nearby window. He opened it with a paw. Were it night time, he could just slip through without even touching the lock. But as it is, he would have to walk right in the daylight. Ara'Khan was telling him exactly where to go. He would not stop until he finished his task.

His bounty. A feral minotaur who'd been taken control over by a shadow parasite, about to attack Fall City. Minotaurs are bipedal creatures, many creatures say they're taller than humans. Their feet are hooves, and their arms carry big biceps. They have the head of a bull, and big horns.

Feral minotaurs live in the dark, damp labyrinths. Underground mazes. If they ever escape, they tend to become violent towards any sign of sentience. This has lead to misunderstandings for civilized minotaurs. Civilized minotaurs are big, but often friendly. They make good fitness instructors, too. Many are hired security for rich folks and the alliance, and many simply protect the weak. They work out a lot, and don't like to sit still. But ferals, they feel no remorse, only suffering. The very reason they live in the labyrinths.

There was an entrance to one of these labyrinths right on the border of Fall City. Mystery followed his intuition there. The entrance was a pair of doors made of some strange steel, in the floor, in the middle of what looked to be an old ruins. The structures seemed man-made, but crumbled by time, and forgotten. The doors were open, which meant someone opened them for the minotaur to come out. The door wasn't smashed, so there was no way it was opened from the inside. But why, was the question, and who? The shadow knight Ara'Khan spoke of? Mystery felt Rumor trying to pull back into her body.

Rumor:" Mystery... we shouldn't be here. Those wolves might find us again, and we're not prepared to take them."

Mystery ignored her with "Mrow" and sniffed the air. He could smell the lingering shadow essence from the beast that had taken control of the minotaur. That was his target. The parasite. He heard screaming from the nearby city, and raced out of the forest.

Fall City was big, like any other city. It used to be a human city, now maintained and inhabited by creatures. Around this district, were apartment buildings and small businesses. The road was paved black, and painted with white lines some time ago, now mostly cracked without any human machines to maintain it. From what history tells, these roads were built for transportation machines for people to get from one place to another faster, and concrete sidewalks built on either side for humans to walk. Mystery wondered why they would use the sidewalk if a machine could take them. Whatever happened, these machines were no longer anywhere to be found.

Mystery heard a roar, and went investigate. There it was, the minotaur, covered in the blackness of pure, living shadow energy. Some lions were attempting to bring down the beast themselves, but were losing very quickly. Minotaurs alone are strong, but combined with an almost symbiotic shadow beast... Mystery couldn't fight that thing like this. His body started to change, and grow slightly. He grew spikes on his leg, and membranous wings in his back. His tail shifted into the shape of an arrowhead. His eyes turned from white to red, and his upper fangs grew into large sabers. His smooth, black body began to turn scaly and hard like steel, revealing his ultimate form. His shadow demon form.

Ara'Khan:" My demon. My champion. Take your bounty. Make me proud."

Mystery let out an aggressive hiss, and charged in the direction of the minotaur with such speed that it knocked the feral beast to the ground before it even knew what hit it. The minotaur recovered, getting back up on it's two hooves, and roared at the sky. It gave charge at Mystery, forcing him to evade, but not without getting slightly nicked by it's horns. The minotaur stopped charging, grabbed the nearest mailbox, and threw it in the shadow demon's direction. Mystery knocked it away with a wing, but it staggered him enough for the minotaur to lung forward and attempt to pound Mystery into the concrete.

Fortunately, it's large fist completely missed his face, and Mystery grabbed onto the minotaurs bicep with it's sharp claws, and bit hard into it. The minotaur, displeased, roared and threw Mystery away into the glass of a storefront, where a display mannequin of a canine was showing off it's canine summer wardrobe, complete with sunglasses, a straw hat, and an open button-up T-shirt with a flower design. The minotaur grabbed Mystery, and started squeezing him in both hands. Thankfully, his demon form gave him extra strength, allowing him to struggle free of the grip.

After successfully getting free, Mystery shifted again, this time in the form of a large, and very long, serpent with wings. He slithered between the minotaur's legs, wrapped himself around it's left leg, then made his way up to his left arm, then his right, and bit down hard in the exact spot as last time. This time, the minotaur was unable to get him loose of his grip, and the shadow parasite began to scream in pain as the minotaurs body began to shrink, and then transform into a black ball of yarn. Mystery shifted back to his demon form, then back to his cat form. Then, for some unexplainable reason, began to play around with the ball of yarn. Using this as a distraction, the alliance soldiers took the opportunity to surround him.

Lion soldier:" Stop right there! You have a lot of explaining to do!"

Mystery blinked, then got up, grabbed the yarn ball in his mouth, and then pounced over the guards. The guards chased him a good long minute before they lost him, and he escaped the city. Back at the labyrinth entrance, Mystery began to restore minotaur's body, while keeping the shadow parasite inside the ball of yarn. The minotaur woke up, then growled at the cat. Mystery hissed aggressively, and the minotaur calmed. Getting back to it's hooves, the minotaur began to walk back into it's labyrinth, and Mystery shut the doors behind it, and locked them. After doing so, Mystery summoned a small shadow rift, that lead to the Umbra, then threw the ball of yarn inside. He then summoned another rift, and hopped through it, closing the rift behind him.

He reappeared in the shadow realm. Ara'Khan's kingdom. He couldn't let his siblings out in here, as they would surely die. Only shadows could survive in this realm. Mystery was now at the heart of this realm, at Ara'Khan's feet, who was sitting his throne, looming over the cat. Compared to Mystery, he was quite large. A literal giant, matter of factly. Mystery gazed in awe nearly every time he entered his lord's throne room.

Ara'Khan:" My demon... my champion. You have carried out one of your tasks. But the knight is still at large."

The shadow god reached into his armored plating, and pulled out a flame flask. Mystery did the same, and Ara'Khan transferred a large sum of ember into Mystery's flask.

Ara'Khan:" Take what have earned. Spend it wisely."

He reached into his armor again, and produced a large spear made of a shadow realm material called purple kyte.

Ara'Khan:" This spear will aid you in your fight against the Shadow Knight. Use it to pierce his armor, and bring his core to me. Shadows guide you, my demon... my champion."

Mystery took the spear, opened a rift, and hopped through it. He reappeared back in their room, in their parents' house. Mystery purred, walking over to the pillow on the bed.

Seeker:” Ehem.”

He looked over, and saw Seeker, looking disapprovingly at him. Mystery suddenly vanished, and his place, appeared Rumor. Who looked flush with embarrassment.

Rumor:” Uh… i-it wasn’t my fault! Mystery took over. You know how he gets when his master speaks to him.”

Seeker sighed.

Seeker:” You should be encouraging Mystery to stop giving himself up to the will of some puppet master.”

Seeker gave her another glass of mana milk, and lapped at the surface of the liquid.

Rumor:” You don’t think I haven’t tried? I think Mystery enjoys being Ara’Khan’s Shadow Demon. Or maybe he just believes he is being used for a higher purpose.”

Seeker:” Maybe he is. But would kill a god to be lenient on his champion? Do the others know?”

Rumor:” I don’t think so. As far as they know, Mystery and the Shadow Demon are completely separate. If they suspected, they haven’t given any sign to it.”

Seeker grimaced.

Seeker:” Maybe it’s for the best. Anyone after the Shadow Demon may go after his friends, which will likely lead to them knowing about you.”

Rumor:” We’ve already got enough of a target on our backs from the Alliance.”

Seeker:” Speaking of targets on your back. I’ve done some research on the wolves that attacked you. Come, darling. The others should know this, too.”

…

Terran took the lead again, carefully checking for any traps. So far, he’d spotted a six spike traps, two bear traps, a pressure plate wired to two flamethrowers in the shape of stone eastern dragon heads, and a trip wire connected to bull skull on a log hanging from the ceiling by a chain.

But strangely, not a single dungeon creature to br found. Dungeons like this are normally home to things like imps, and spiders, and human skeletons of old warriors who haven’t quite got the memo that the place they’re protecting, no longer needs protecting. But so far, anything long dead seems to be completely inanimate, and there are no signs of life.

Terran could, however, feel the disturbance of lingering spirits, crying out for help. It was one of the many talents of a kitsune to commune with spirits who are trapped between the living realm and the afterlife. It was just like talking to a normal creature. In some places, however, like dungeons, the spirits would violently lash out at anything with life. These spirits, however, did not. They were in pain, asking for the end of their suffering. Terran couldn’t help but let out a whimper of sympathy.

Wags:” Something wrong? Are we lost?”

Terran:” The spirits here are… in pain. I can hear them… screaming. It hurts like heck.”

Wags:” Oh. Well hopefully we will get out of here soon. Look, my paranometer is getting a massive spike. So we must be close.”

Terran:” Shh. Do you hear that?”

Lost:” We can’t hear spirits, Terran.”

Terran:” No no, it’s something else.”

Wags:” I hear it, too. It’s like a whooshing noise, followed by a growrowraarg. Does that sound like something you guys are familiar with, ‘cause I got no clue.”

Terran:” It’s a rift. We need to close it!”

The three creatures ran down the hall, and into an open room. Two rows of three pillars held up the room, an past them was some kind of alter, protected by a large number of shadowy figures, all merged together, to form some kind pool of shadows. Above them were several shadow rifts protruding from the ceiling and walls, spitting out shadowy substance into the growing pool like some sort of faucet. Heads if shadow beasts emerged from the pool, growling in anger.

Terran:” This is the most terrifying thing I’ve ever seen. Can you close those rifts, Ace?”

Wags:” I-I think so. Gimme a minute.”

Wags lifted his front paws, and used his M.E.A device to control the diamond’s chaos energy. The rift began to shrink, but then stopped. Wags kept trying, but eventually gave in.

Wags:” I can’t. The rifts are connected by some sort bind. You’d have to target all the rifts at once to break the chain, and just isn’t possible with only one chaos bender.”

Terran:” So what do we do then?”

Wags looked around the room. The alter at the end of the room held some sort of strange object.

Wags:” The alter. That strange object might be the source of these rifts. If we can make our way there, we might be able to figure out how to close them.”

Terran nodded.

Terran:” It’s our best shot so far. But how do we get there?"

Wags:" Can you make ice bridge?"

Terran:" Can't. This place is making me all dry. How about you, Lost?"

Lost:" I might be able to make a bridge, but I'll need a little bit blood from you."

Terran:" Sounds like you're up, newbie."

Wags winced.

Wags:" D-does it have to be from me?"

Terran:" Your the new guy. Call it your initiation ritual. You'll be fine."

Wags gulped, but raised paw.

Wags:" O-okay."

Wags used his fang to cut a small tear in his leg, while Terran produce a bowl for it to fall into. Wags closed his eyes as it dripped, whimpering at the pain. Terran handed him some bandages.

Terran:" Thanks. Now, get that wrapped up."

Wags:" You guys do this sort of thing... all the time, right?"

Lost:" Sometimes. Blood magic is very delicate, and requires some kind of sacrifice. Just be glad you don't have to sacrifice your life for a bridge."

Terran:" Lost, do your thing. And try not to scare newbie."

Lost began some sort of chant. It was incomprehensible, but the words didn't have any meaning to the ears of others. The blood rose, and began to shift into a solid bridge to stretch across the room, to the alter.

Wags:" Whoa. It's amazing what just a small amount of blood can do."

Lost:" Yeah, but that amount won't hold for long. Let's let's hurry."

They hurried across the room, when a shadow beast grabbed onto the bridge, and tried to grab Wags. Wags yelled in panic, and Terran threw a bolt of ice at the creature, leaving it screaming in pain.

Wags:" Hey! I thought you said this place left you dry!"

Terran:" Heh. I might have lied to see if you would do it. But hey, you passed you're initiation!"

Wags:" There's really an initiation to join?"

Lost:" Oh no, that's just what we call it, when Terran decides to prank new members of the guild. It's like an initiation."

Wags:" You knew and you went along with it?" I don't know how to feel about this."

Terran:" Don't take it personally. Besides, everybody gets one. Now let's hurry before the shadows decide to grab us again."

They made it to the other side, and approached the alter. On top of the alter was an oval-shaped object. Pure black, with shadow mist falling from it.

Terran:" Can we do anything with it?"

Wags:" I don't know. I was hoping this thing might provide answers, but... well it doesn't give off the same frequency as the rifts, so it can't be connected."

Terran:" Is it dangerous?"

Wags:" Not certain. It... looks just like an egg."

Lost:" Never seen an egg like that before."

Terran:" Maybe we can bring it back to the guild, and ask Avery what to do about it."

Lost:" You sure that's a good idea?"

Terran:" For all we know, this could be the thing causing the disturbance to the wildlife in the area."

Wags:" Now that I think about it. The anomaly detector may have detected two anomalies in the area. I mean... that's what I suspected at first, but I didn't think it was likely, so I just write it off as a single anomaly."

Terran:" Wish you would have brought this up sooner."

Wags:" I didn't think it was relevant at the time."

Lost:" Well if we're going to do something with it, we should do it now before the blood bridge collapses."

Terran took a hard look at the "egg", and approached it cautiously with a paw. The egg suddenly started moving, and what looked to be some kind of tendril came out from underneath it, and stabbed itself into Terran's chest. Terran tried scream, but he couldn't find his voice. His colleagues raced to help him as the tendril slid out, letting him fall to the floor.

Lost:" Terran! Wake up! Come on!"

Wags:" Wait, something's not right. Let's see... he's still breathing, but... oh crap!"

Lost:" What? Is he dying?"

Wags:" He is! That egg... thing... it took a huge chunk of mana straight out of him! He needs mana, or he is going to die!"

Lost:" The fountain! Can we make it in time?"

Wags:" If we hurry, and don't step on any traps on the way."

The bridge behind them started to collapse.

Wags:" Oh... and if that doesn't happen!"

Lost used all his willpower to steady the bridge.

Lost:" Go! I can cross the shadows myself!"

Wags:" Okay."

Wags pulled Terran onto his back, and ran across the bridge, not stopping for anything. Once across, he looked back, and saw the egg starting emanate more shadow mist.

Wags:" Lost! Something is happening with the egg! You have to cross now!"

Lost began to swim through the pool of shadows, avoiding all the shadow beasts as the mist began to grow.

Lost:" I can make it, go!"

Wags hesitated for a moment, but knew there was no time. He raced back through the halls, trying to remember where all the traps were in the dark maze when he finally made it to the fountain. He set Terran inside the mana fountain, keeping his head up so he doesn't get any in his mouth. His body started glowing blue, the black spot on his chest starting to fade. Wags started to relax as Terran started showing signs of recovery.

Wags:" Phew. You're gonna be alright."

Terran started to wake up, reaching towards his head.

Terran:" Ugh. I feel like I got hit by a bus."

Wags:" Glad you're alright. Um... what's a bus?"

Lost came in from the hallway in hurry. The two bear traps from before were latched his tail and his right foreleg.

Lost:" We need to go, now! That stuff is coming fast!"

The mist was making it's way from the hall, and the three of them began to rush out of the temple. Luckily, they made it out, just in time. The mist stopped at the entrance of the temple, leaving it impassable.

Terran:" Well... we're going back that way anytime soon. What happened when I blacked out?"

Wags:" You lost a whole lot of mana when you were attacked by that... thing. I used the fountain to revive you."

Terran:" Thanks Wags. Sorry for the prank."

Wags:" Oh don't worry. I'll get my payback, eventually. But first, let's get back to the guild."

Terran:" Right... I have a feeling Avery is gonna want a full report on this."

...

Rumor and her six parents were gathered in the living room. Seeker gave Rumor the nod, and Rumor used a spell to bring her siblings out in ethereal form. Mystery, Tundra, and Zippy beamed as they went their respective parents. Once the excitement settled, Seeker announced the purpose of the meeting.

Seeker:" Listen up, everyone. I believe Rumor and our children may be in danger."

The other parents showed signs of worry, and the siblings showed mixed attitudes at the revelation. Zippy, confusion. Tundra, fear. Rumor, surprise. Mystery, unfazed as always.

Seeker:" I have been doing some research, called in every contact I could get ahold of. Rumor, it turns out your attackers were a group of silver wolves."

Rumor:" I've... never heard of that kind of wolf before."

Seeker:" That is because they hide in plain sight, acting just like any other wolf, blending in to modern society. Creatures mostly report hearing a silent howl, and then a wolf appears, often to kill a nearby mutant."

Flash:" How is something like this kept so secret?"

Flash is Blaze's father, and one of Rumor's favorite parents. She loves them all, of course, but he has been kind to her all her life. He is a red elementine cat with mane of fire, and a big, fluffy tail. He had big ears with fire coming out, and his eyes were a fiery-orange color. He and Seeker often interact with each other, often dancing around their own feelings for each other.

Seeker:" Events of these attacks often occur blurry to witnesses, and many times the alliance arrests creatures who are cannot provide a decent defense for their case. Many of these cases go unsolved."

Meryl:" Oh, how absolutely tragic!"

Marcus:" Sounds like a frightening bunch, even by my standards."

Marcus and Meryl, Mystery's parents, are very mischievous, and also really good at shadow magic. They're both shadow elementine cats, each surrounded by shadow mist, like Mystery, but unlike Mystery, they look just like regular black cats, with fur instead of a void-like coat. Marcus has blue eyes, while Meryl's eyes are completely yellow with black, slit pupils. They both carry a necklace, with half a black heart that connects to it's other half when put together.

Seeker:" Indeed. And that is why I believe it's best for you, and your siblings to stay here, with us."

Tundra:" What?"

Mystery:" Mrow!"

Zippy:" Yeah! And we get to spend time with our parents!"

Tundra:" But we can handle ourselves! And we have the guild and our friends to protect us if we need it!"

Seeker:" They weren't there when the wolves attacked."

Tundra:" Terran and the others have always been there for us. One exception changes nothing!"

Zippy:" But those wolves! They're reeeeally scary! And plus, parents!?"

Mystery:" Mrow!"

Tundra:" I like being with my parents, too. Be we can't rely on them every time we get in trouble! Rumor, tell them!"

Rumor:" Actually... I agree with them."

Tundra:" What?"

Rumor:" Look, I know. I don't like it either. But I'm the one who holds us all together. My mission is to protect you guys, even if that means keeping us at home."

Glacier:" Seeker, I don't wish to disagree with you, but they are grown up, now."

Arctic:" It's their decision to make. They're destiny."

Arctic and Glacier, Tundra's parents, are always on the same page. They never let anything get in the way of their relationship, not even money or petty arguments. Rumor would say that they were the happiest couple she'd ever seen, never bickering. Their love knows no bounds, and they only have eyes for each other. True love. They're both ice elementine cats. Arctic is all white, with a long, slender tail, and ocean blue eyes, while Glacier has a white coat, with a pigment of light blue over her left eye, and the same color from her belly to her rump, and over the top part of her fluffy tail, and icy blue eyes.

Seeker:" We haven't prepared them for this. And that guild does nothing but put our children in danger."

Meryl:" I concur."

Marcus:" The guild trains all it's members to survive on their own."

Meryl:" Dang it, Marcus! Why do you always have to disagree with me?"

Marcus:" I'm just being logical, my dear."

Meryl:" Are you saying I'm not logical?"

Marcus:" Now don't twist my words!"

Flash:" Oh dear. Seeker, I hate to say it, but Arctic and Glacier are right."

Marcus:" And me too!"

Flash:" This is something that Rumor and her siblings need to discuss between themselves."

Seeker sighed.

Seeker:" You're right. But you all have to agree on it."

Rumor:" Well, you all know my vote. I vote to stay and keep you guys safe."

Zippy:" Same! I just want to spend as much time as I can with the family I love."

Tundra:" Am I the only one who wants to go back to the guild?"

Mystery:" Mrowrow."

Mystery waved towards Tundra.

Tundra:" At least someone agrees."

Zippy:" Guys, there's only four of us, and we're tied. What about Blaze?"

Tundra gave haughty huff.

Tundra:" Right, I'll ask for the opinion of a pyromaniac when fish talk. When are we going to accept that Blaze is no longer one of us?"

Glacier:" Tundra!"

Tundra flinched at her mother's voice. She knew her mother couldn't do anything to her in ethereal form, but she chose her next words carefully.

Tundra:" I-I'm sorry. But it's true. We haven't let Blaze be a part of our decisions since... since..."

Tundra began to sniff. She tried to cover her face, as tears ran down her cheeks.

Tundra:" Since he made all of us fugitives!"

Everyone in the room went silent, save for Tundra, who was crying her eyes out.

Tundra:" I'm tired of hiding! I'm tired of running! I'm tired of ducking around a corner every time we see an alliance soldier! If this is our life now, I'm just going to stay in pocket and never come out!"

Rumor approached her slowly. She wanted to hug her, but neither one of them would feel a thing. Instead, she just sat in front of Tundra's ethereal body.

Rumor:" Tundra, I... I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. This whole thing is... it's my fault. I was supposed to keep Blaze under control, and instead he shut me out."

Tundra:" No... I just... It's not you're fault. It's that werewolf. Everyday, I see his face, feel him trying crush us under his foot, and Blaze just... he just..."

Rumor:" He forced out. It was the first time I'd ever felt that violent pull. He killed that werewolf, but he didn't stop there. He burned the whole village. Even laughed."

Zippy:" What?"

Rumor:" He laughed at the fire, as it burned."

Zippy tilted her head in confusion.

Zippy:" Rumor. He didn't laugh. He cried, remember?"

Tundra:" No I... I remember the laughing. Don't I?"

Zippy:" No, I remember clearly. He screamed in anger, but not laughing. He had tears in his eyes."

Seeker:" Could it be, that you two may have witnessed that night very differently?"

Rumor:" I... don't know. It's possible. But... but it's Blaze. He killed all those innocent wolves. There's no excuse for that."

Zippy:" Could it be that... he is the way he is, because we never gave him a chance to explain his side?"

Flash:" I doubt it would do any good now. Blaze has become so aggressive, he probably doesn't even remember why he is in the cage. You'd have to heal him, and that will extremely difficult."

Zippy:" And maybe we can start by letting him be a part of our decisions."

Rumor thought about it, extensively. She kept trying to picture some way that this would go wrong. Some way that Blaze would go violent again, simply because she let her guard down. But she wasn't psychic. She couldn't see the future, and she was only looking at the bad. She knew she was looking for the bad, and maybe that needed to change. Maybe she should have a little faith.

Rumor:" Okay."

Tundra:" O-okay what?"

Rumor:" Tundra, I know it sounds like a bad idea."

Tundra:" It os a bad idea."

Rumor:" But... here me out. You want to be free, don't you? So does Blaze. If we start giving him the chance to earn his freedom, we can get our brother back."

Tundra:" He ruined our lives."

Rumor:" And he's paid for it. I can't think of anyway this couldn't go south either. But if there is anything we've learned from Terran and the others, is that some times, we should just roll the dice, and see what comes of it. It may be good. It may be bad. But whatever happens, we'll get through together."

Tundra weighed her options for a moment, then looked to Mystery. Mystery nodded, so she nodded.

Tundra:" Okay. We'll get through together."

...

In the Chaos Pocket

''The whole pocket dimension was just a garden of shape-trimmed hedges. It was created when Rumor was introduced to the world, and she eventually made into a garden so it wasn't so bland, and the other could enjoy it. The garden had five private areas where only their owners could access, unless they gave permission to the other siblings, and they would be able to mentally create whatever they wanted in their own rooms to decorate. All four siblings marched down the private quarters area to meet with their brother.''

''Rumor was nervous, but she didn't waver. Each room was blocked by a golden door, each door had a symbol on their room. Rumor's door, at the end of the hall, has a star on it. Tundra's door, first on the left, has a snowflake. Zippy's door, second door on the left, has a water droplet. Mystery's door, first door on the right, has a black spot. They walked down to the second room on the right, which has a flame on it.''

''Rumor opened the flame door, revealing a burning garden behind it, and a cage. Inside the cage, was Rumor's fourth sibling. A fire elementine cat, with flames bursting out all over his body. Normally (when he's not in a mood), he was an orange cat, with flames coming from the back his head, and his tail. Everywhere he walked, left scorch marks the shape of paw prints. He turned to meet Rumor's eyes. His voice sounded as if he were speaking as a quartet.''

Blaze:" Hello Rumor. Did ya miss me?"

To be continued...