яαzαyкα вσσк I-オリジナルワン {тнε σяιgιηαℓ σηε}(pg-13)

A black blur raced through the powdery snow, his breath forming a mist in the air as he huffed and puffed.

He had a wild look in his odd-colored eyes that gleamed in the moonlight.

"I must get to the old wolf…"He muttered under his breath.

Ahead of him a hollowed rock stood out against the white powder. The black wolf made a sigh of relief when he saw it and quickened his pace.

"Taro-san!" He yelled. "Taro-san, it's your son!" He howled as he approached the entrance.

"Beta…. Is that you?" Said a raspy voice from inside.

"Yes it's me, and you don't have to call me Beta, Father." The black wolf said.

There was a slight snicker from inside and a white wolf, his muzzle flecked with gray limped out into the chilly air. A single scar crossed his left eye, showing he had been a fighter.

The old wolf settled down onto the snow with a soft sigh.

"Beta, I need a favor of you…"Taro wheezed.

"Anything for you Taro-san." The black wolf said with a respectful bow of his head.

Taro faced him, his sterling gray eyes shining with wisdom.

"Follow and capture the wolf with starlight in its fur, for it will be the savior of us all." He said in an eerie and ancient voice.

The black wolf stood there as rigid as stone.

"Y-you mean I have to capture the savior and bring him or her here?" The black wolf said, his voice shaky from fear.

Taro nodded solemnly.

"It's the only way to stop the battle." Taro rasped.

The black wolf pricked his ears and heard the sound of fighting wolves.

"As for me my life has come to an end. Please, find this wolf for us Keenai, it's…the…. Only…. Way…." Taro's voice faded away as his head plopped down on the ground and his eyes slowly closed.

"Taro-san?" The black wolf whispered as he nudged the old wolf's head.

Taro didn't respond his head just plopped back down on the snow.

"No, Taro-san!" The black wolf yelped.

"FATHER, NO!" He howled his head lifted up to the sky.

Tears streamed down his face as he pushed his muzzle into the rapidly cooling fur.

"I will please you, don't you worry." He whispered.

He grieved deeply for the old wolf before padding out into the open towards the eastern Kazak Mountains.


***


Moonlight streamed down in the dense valley below where a she-wolf sat. She was hovered over a mangled wolf, his eyes staring sightlessly at the sky.

The she-wolf tipped back her head and howled to the midnight sky, eyes closed and a slight tear falling from the corner of her eyes.

She looked back at the dead male and called into the fierce blizzard that buffeted her sides, "My love…. Why…. Who was the wolf that did this to you, my mate?"

As she said this, something stirred in the snow-covered bushes surrounding the she-wolf and two, glowing red as blood eyes glared at the she-wolf. Teeth flashed in the silver light as the unknown creature began to speak in an eerie and intimidating voice,

"It was me, mutt… And you shall be next!" The creature then stepped out, features blacked out and only the outline of the shadow told the she-wolf it was another wolf. Female too.

"Wha… What do you want?" She stammered, hackles raised.

"I want you dead… Your blood spilled fresh on the ground where I shall drink it, ha ha ha!"

The shape stepped out more where a shaft of moonlight shined down on the snow. As it showed its features, the she-wolf's eyes widened in shock.

"No… No, it can't be! Not you, not my daughter! Did you even know that was your father that you killed?" She gasped.

The wolf hissed like a snake, "He's not my father anymore… And you are not my mother."

"No, you can't! Please, reconsider!" She pleaded, voice quavering with fear.

"Never… Never!" The evil wolf then pounced, strikingly long claws aimed for the she-wolf's chest. She tried to dodge it, but was too slow and the daughter's claws sliced deep into her chest flesh. The mother howled in agony as her daughter continued to rip through her body, blood erupting from the gruesome wounds.

Finally, the daughter grabbed her mother's throat and gnawed on the skin, splitting it open, blood spraying against her muzzle and flank. She threw the bloody body onto the powdered snow. The body stained the snow with blood as it was thrown, thumping against the ground with a thud.

The daughter wolf trotted over, bloodstained paws making tracks on the ground. She stood over her body with a smile of insanity on her face, but it quickly disappeared as she saw the wolf's flank moving up and down in perfect rhythm.

"You… Why do you live?" She growled.

Blood bubbled from the mother's throat as she tried to talk and eventually, mouth spitting blood, she managed to blurt out, "Razayka… Why?"

"Die…" Razayka whispered. She then reared back and plunged her muzzle into the open chest wound and managed to grab the major organ in the mother's chest. There was a bloodcurdling scream that erupted from the mother as Razayka pulled it out with a ripping sound, the sound of the mother's cry echoing around the raised canyons of the valley.

Razayka watched as her mother's eyes glazed over, dead. She munched on the heart, muttering things in a strange language that no one would ever be able to make out. What was able to me made out was her hissing at herself, telling herself things…

"You are not my mother, you are not my mother, you are not my mother!" She yelled, fangs managing to rip through the organ. She dropped the other half, a growl rumbling in the back of her throat, slowly growing louder and louder and louder until she roared like an angry lion to the sky, laughing like a maniac soon after.

"I am Razayka!" She howled.

Then, she faced the wind, eyes glowing with bloodlust and malice, "And I have won…"

She snarled to herself, lips curling into a devious smile, drool dripping from her jowls. She continued to laugh insanely, voice carrying on throughout the vast mountains...




キャプチャ




"No I didn't mean to, I swear!" Razayka writhed around in her fur-laced nest of moss.

At once her blood-red eyes flew open and she sighed in relief as she saw her lovely and cozy cave.

She stood up and stretched, her back curling in a beautiful arch.

Muscles rippled under her thick silver fur, and she shook her white-tipped tail in a last minor stretch.

Her belly growled, telling her how hungry she was. Prey was scarce the other night because of the blizzard that had struck.

As she padded delicately out of her cave, Razayka's mind began to ponder. She kept having nightmares of her murderous past for three nights in a row.

Why? I just don't get it; I promised myself I would let my past go. She thought, troubled deeply.

Cold snow froze her pads as she trotted into the hunting trail she had carved in the tiny forest outside of her den. Her senses stretched out far as she walked along solemnly, nose held high in the air. She sniffed in deeply as she tried to catch a whiff of prey scent beyond the sharp smell of pine around her.

She licked her lips as she caught the trace of a Snowshoe Hare on the wind. Dropping down low to the ground, she began to track it through dense overgrown shrubbery and scraggly, dead bracken.

A few yards away she found her prey, nibbling on some grass that had poked its way through the deep white blanket.

Her belly growled again, and she willed it to hold on a few more minutes. Her mouth watered as she imagined the taste of biting into warm, succulent rabbit meat.

Carefully, she moved forward, making sure she was downwind of the feasting hare.

"Crack!" The sound of a branch broken by a heavy paw in the dense shrubbery where Razayka was hid shattered the silence.

At once, the hare's ears pricked up and it froze in mid-bite. Swiftly it ran away from its predator.

Razayka cursed under her breath and surveyed the bushes, looking for the fool that had lost her prey.

There was a lot of racket in the undergrowth and Razayka knew a large creature was crashing through the dead bracken.

Come out! Show your face! Razayka demanded silently.

The loud noise stopped and Razayka relaxed a little.

Ha ha, coward! Run like a little fo- Razayka's thought was interrupted as a snarling ball of black fur blasted into her side, driving the breath out of her.

"Get off! Get-" A hefty paw smacked Razayka in the head.

Stars appeared before her eyes as she faded away into unconsciousness. A black hole yawned in front of her, threatening to swallow her up. Razayka let it come as everything turned into shadows…

***



Razayka's eyes flickered open, only to find it was still a pitch-black world. Had she gone blind? She tried to smell her surroundings and what she sniffed in were musky and dense smells. It was a little chilly where she was and the ground under her body was cold and hard. She could hear the faint "drip drip" sound of water droplets falling into a puddle of more water.

"So you're awake." A gruff voice answered from behind her. It seemed to echo around in the space they were in.

Razayka shifted around to face two eyes floating in mid-air; one green, the other gray.
The left one was a normal green color, while the other was a dazzling sterling gray.

"I thought you were seriously injured, thank goodness you're still alive, what's your name?" The strange… Figure asked. She tried to peer a little closer at him and found a trace of a canine outline.

"R-razayka..." Razayka stammered.

"Razayka… What a beautiful name for a nice wolf."

Nice? You barely even met me! Razayka thought, stifling a growl. She could have sworn she heard some sarcasm in the wolf's voice.

"Why are you here alone? These mountains are not safe." He pressed.

"It's none of your business." Razayka snarled.

Razayka was tired of this wolf asking all the questions, it was her turn now!

"Why did you kidnap me, huh? Trying to show you're strong?" Razayka flashed. Her eyes blazed as she glared at the wolf.

"No, actually I was caught by your stunning beauty and I had to learn more about you." The wolf answered back.

Beautiful? Me? Razayka thought, touched by what the male had said.

"Now that I know you, you might as well know me." The bright, floating eyes moved around before disappearing altogether.

A brilliant shaft of light exploded from the far side of the sheltered cave.

Razayka's eyes closed tight, blinded by the sudden appearance of light. Although, she had turned her head away from the light and had caught a glance of her surroundings. It seemed she was in a vast and strangely empty cave. It was probably possible that this wasn't the wolf's cave, just some random one he had found.

When they finally adjusted she was looking at a jet-black wolf, his muscles rippled smoothly under his fur and a crescent shaped scar was circled around his right eye.

He padded up to Razayka, his magnificent head held high.

"I wish to travel with you." He said rather abruptly.

"What? You barely even know me!" Razayka exclaimed. She jumped straight up as if something poked her.

"I know you enough to let you be my partner." He said.

"No!" Razayka shouted and headed for the cave entrance.

"But every outcast needs a partner!"

Razayka halted in her footsteps.

"How…"

The black wolf snorted impatiently. "Every wolf knows that a wolf traveling alone is an outcast."

"You just shut up, I'm not traveling with you and that's that!" Razayka retorted, heading for the entrance again.

But the black wolf was quicker. Once Razayka was at the mouth of the cave, he blocked her path.

"Get out of the way!"

"You've got to travel with me, please!" He pleaded; desperation in his voice.

But, why, I'm not special or anything… She thought.

"Alright." Razayka sighed, "But only on one condition."

"And what's that?"

"I need you to do a task for me…."

The wolf had a strange expression on his face as Razayka said this and she knew exactly what he was thinking…

"I want you to catch a dozen rabbits, a dozen sparrows, and a dozen mice for me. All in all that's thirty-six pieces of prey. Do it. Now." Once Razayka finished her firm "now", the wolf was off into the shrubbery surrounding the cave, nose in air and following many scent trails that were scattered around the miniature forest.

Razayka sat down with a smug look on her face. She knew he would come back empty-handed and unworthy of traveling with her. The snow was far too deep to find the thirty-six pieces of prey she wanted… It was highly impossible.

I can't wait to see his disheartened face when he comes back with no prey… And then I can travel alone once more.

But Razayka's genius plan had been foiled for the wolf returned with a mouth stuffed with prey, cheeks bulging.

"There's more." He mumbled through all the fur and feathers caught in his throat. He deposited the prey beside Razayka's legs before dashing off again.

As his black tail disappeared behind the dead bracken, Razayka's once smug mouth was now wide open in shock. How on Earth… Razayka knew the blizzard had ought to bring the amount of prey far down, but this wolf…. Had Razayka underestimated him? Maybe he would end up being a good comrade…

The wolf returned again, cheeks bulging with even more prey. He deposited the rest of it in the pile beside Razayka and they both began to sort through, counting the pieces as they did.

"Thirty-three… Thirty-four… Thirty-five… And that's it." Razayka finished as she threw the last mice on the mice pile.

There were twelve mice, twelve sparrows, but only eleven rabbits. Razayka smirked again and looked slyly at the wolf.

He looked back with utter shock, "I could've sworn I had twelve rabbits!" He exclaimed, sniffing around just to make sure if he dropped it.

"Well, it seems you are not worthy to travel with the magnificent Razayka, hmmm? You have failed me…. Go." Razayka said with a wave of her paw.

"No, look, I can catch you one more! Just wait!" The wolf begged before running off again into the woods. Razayka sighed and waited, but she knew he would never find that last rabbit…

And this time, she was correct for the wolf returned, mouth and paws empty.

"I'm sorry… Can I go search again?" He begged and Razayka only half-heartedly nodded.
"I'm only giving you five more minutes though, you better hurry." And the wolf did hurry. He searched through all the bushes, nose buried in the snow, looking for the faintest scent of rabbit on the ground.

Five minutes went by with no luck, and Razayka gladly called a "Time's up!" to the wolf who was searching in the bushes closest to her.

His voice reached hers as he yelled in protest, "No, wait, just five more minutes! I think I smell something…" There was a violent rustle and a squeal from what Razayka knew as a rabbit. Finally, the wolf proudly strolled out with a dead rabbit dangling in his mouth, a proud smile on his face.

Razayka made a small groan of disapproval to herself as he dropped the final rabbit in the pile.

"Good job. Well, I guess you are worthy. Let's go back to my cave so we can deposit all this prey there. I may come back for it later if needed." She explained dully.

"Yay! I'll go do that then, your highness!" The wolf said with a playful smile. Razayka only snorted in annoyance. The wolf was an adult, but acted like a pup. She watched with bitter resentment as he shoved the mice and sparrow pile in his mouth and trotted off, tail in the air. Before he disappeared however, he turned around to face Razayka, "I'm… Um… I'm Shen-Lung." He stammered and immediately turned back around leaving Razayka with a puzzled stare.

Why had he been so hesitant to say his name? And how on Earth did he catch all that prey when a blizzard had just struck the other night?

Maybe he's not an outcast… Or maybe I just underestimated him… Whatever it is, it will help me greatly. Razayka thought, eyes dark. Shrugging off her worry, she picked up all thirteen rabbits and marched off after Shen-Lung, the male saying something about how the wolf world was made.

First things first: unusual formatting that doesn't serve a specific purpose is generally frowned upon around here. So, it'd be best if you changed the text to be aligned on the left instead of in the center. It's just easier to read.

As for the story itself, I'm afraid I had a very hard time trying to take it seriously. Having passion present in your writing isn't a bad thing in itself, but you might want to tone this story down a bit. I think it's over the top; especially in lines like this:

The mother howled in agony as her daughter continued to rip through her body, blood blossoming from the gruesome wounds.

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"Blossoming" isn't the best word to describe bleeding, and not only because it's alliterative in a place where alliteration makes a violent act kind of silly. First you're telling us that it's gory and nasty, then suddenly you're using a very flowery word (literally), and then it's back to gory and nasty. I hate to say it, but I had to stifle a laugh when I read it. I would say your writing in this chapter suffers from purple prose, or overly flowery and extravagant language. Here's another example of the kind of problem I'm talking about:

Her eyes blazed with heated fire as she glared at the wolf.

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"Heated fire" is redundant, especially when you've already said that her eyes "blazed." There are three elements here that convey fire, and two of them are right next to each other. It's just more language than you need, and it's not appealing for the reader; especially when you're talking about eyes.

Razayka shifted around to face two eyes floating in mid-air, the irises strangely odd-eyed.

Click to expand...

Having "strange" and "odd" right there is kind of redundant and also awkward to read. Not to mention, it doesn't make sense to call the irises "odd-eyed" because irises don't have eyes; they're parts of eyes. That whole clause is kind of a mess. You would have been better off just saying something like "Razayka shifted around to face two eyes floating in mid-air; one green, the other gray."

Writing aside, I can't say the characters left much of an impression on me, other than confusion. I get that Razayka is some kind of savior, but this whole thing about capturing her is playing out kind of weird. I get the impression that Razayka must be awfully dense, because "Shen-Lung" is obviously superior to her in just about every way (or at least in strength and hunting ability), yet she persists in not only treating him as but also thinking of him as an inferior, even after he swiftly and easily knocked her out and dragged her to a strange cave because he thought she was pretty (which has some pretty creepy subtext). I'm willing to accept that wolves have different social norms than we do, but I'm still not sure I buy the weird dynamic between the two.

One good thing I'll say for your chapter is that it's anything but dull. I like reading something that has plenty of energy and passion, but you have everything from the prose to the characters turned up to eleven here, and I think the end result is more silly than frightening or awesome. I'll keep reading when you post next because I am a little interested in seeing what will come of this meeting between the two characters (personally, I'm hoping that something puts Razayka in her place and that it actually sinks in for her). But before you post chapter two, I would suggest revising chapter one to make it less over-the-top and to get the writing under control.

finally, some good review and not, "this story is awesome" <.< (i get that a lot on other forums)

hm. the first chapter is a bit confusing mainly because it was a combination of a preface and the actual chapter 1. i started writing this 2 years ago and had no clue where i was going then.

a lot of people have some trouble with razayka. she's a... let me put it like this, interesting character i guess. she's very egotistical and has that "i'm superior, you're not." kind of attitude that i have. i mainly modeled her after myself because i'm rather confusing and hard to make out. again, i made this character 2 years ago and it took me a whole 2 years to write the rest of this story. i think revising and going back is better, because my writing has evolved over the years. i'm not so much as confusing in my writing, but more powerful and extravagant.

and as for the wording, that's pretty extravagant too. this chapter was my first chance at ever experiencing what i can do as a writer.

thank you for reviewing the story! i really appreciate any kind of review mostly because i want to get this revised and end up trying to publish it somehow.

ahaha, thanks.

lol about the whole "san" thingy. 2 years ago i was one of those weeaboos or whatever. not as much as one now just because it got overrated and frankly i was made fun of it for a while.

but anyway, i do appreciate any kind of review, good or bad.

and yes, razayka was tricking shen-lung. xD

oh and about the spacing thing, i kind of like it that way mainly because to me it looks better on the eyes and is neater. *shrugs*

i'll be posting chapter 2 now i guess. lol. enjoyyy.


Years and years ago, before the time of the great packs, wolves were scattered amongst each other, searching for territory to live in and prey to hunt. There were no boundaries, no packs, just little groups of wolves. They fought constantly for territory and prey and many wolves died because of this. One day, a giant and terrible creature came and slaughtered the wolves. This new creature was the true form of the mythical Elemental Wolves who held power over the mortal ones. As the beast razed valleys, foothills, and forests in the Kazak Mountains, many wolves began to form together to make one great pack that would stop the beast.

As they stood in front of the beast, ready to fight for their lives, a shining figure appeared in the stormy clouds and descended onto the snowy ground. There, it stood in front of the beast that simply swung its terrible claws at the magnificent wolf that shattered like glass into a million shiny pieces. These pieces however formed a giant crystal spear that was hurtled towards its heart. The blood from the beast spilled to the ground and it ran for miles to the Elemental Wolves camp. The Elemental Wolves approached the blood of the fallen pack member, but they suddenly burned to ashes as the blood made contact with their body.

Once the Elemental Wolves were gone, the mortal wolves formed two packs, the Pack of Shadows and the Pack of Starlight. The wolves in the Pack of Shadows were mean and aggressive, while the Starlight pack was just and kind hearted. The two packs were always at odds.

Through all the fighting, every wolf knew that the packs were always one, but not really one. They were the same, but not really the same. The shining figure that had sacrificed itself to save the wolves knew this would happen, and it soon passed down its powers to many other wolves.

Today, no one knows where the descendant is, but he is here among us… Watching us… And maybe one day, he'll sacrifice himself for all wolves just as he had done thousands of years ago.

This is the Legend of the Starlight Wolf.


Razayka yawned in boredom as Shen-Lung finished his boring myth about some magical wolf that no one even cared about anymore. Elemental Wolves? Pssh, big deal, it wasn't as if the same beast would magically come out of nowhere and fight the wolves again which had happened thousands of years ago. Talk about having long-term memory loss… Razayka grumbled in annoyance as Shen-Lung smiled smugly around him, carefree and relaxed.

"You know that's my favorite myth out of all the myths." He mumbled aloud. Razayka rolled her eyes. Yes, it was an amazing story about a shiny wolf that kills a monster, like that has never been told before. Haven't any of wherever Shen-Lung came from wolves heard about original stories?

Shen-Lung yawned and lay down on the snow, eyes closed. He then popped them back open, "Hey, before we go to sleep, want me to tell you another myth about how squirrels came to be? It's really cool."

Razayka only made a half-hearted grumble and settled down herself and listened to Shen-Lung drone on and on about rats turning into squirrels because of hurting the wolves and in punishment, the Wolf God had made their tails fluffy. Soon, she drifted off to sleep, Shen-Lung's monotone voice echoing in her ears making her dream of a field full of rats and squirrels… Talk about a reality check.


***



"Hurry up!" Razayka yelled yet again over her shoulder at Shen-Lung's slowing figure.
"I am hurrying!" He shouted back. He huffed and puffed as he climbed up a snowy bank, face screwed up in an expression of annoyance, aggravation, and tiredness, "And, by the way, why are you even leading? Aren't I supposed to be doing that?"

Razayka snorted in impatience and annoyance. Three days had passed since she accepted to travel with Shen-Lung and she was sick of every single second he whined or complained to rest or hunt.

"I'm tired!" "My legs hurt!" "I have to go to the bathroom!" Were his usual complaints. Razayka didn't get why such a huge and powerful wolf would be this whiny. But, it looked pretty obvious that he hadn't been fully trained in the ways of an outcast which brought her to the other conclusion that he was from a pack and had been lying the whole time.
"We have to keep moving, other wolves will catch us." Razayka would always tell him when he moaned.

He was always quiet when Razayka mentioned wolf packs and how she despised them. Other than that he was always as chatty as a wren, telling Razayka old nursery tales of mythical wolves. He said he loved them, but Razayka found them downright boring.
Shen-Lung would also constantly moon over her, or try to flirt with her, woo her with his smart comments.

Razayka always pushed him away, which left him with a pout on his jet-black face. It wasn't that she hated him… Oh, maybe she did hate him a little bit, but…

Razayka was cut out of her thoughts when she heard panting beside her ear. She looked at Shen-Lung's staggering figure.

"Look Razayka… I know what you're about to say, but can you please not be stubborn with me and let me rest for once?" He gasped as he breathed in handfuls of air.

Razayka blinked then continued on her way. She ignored a groan of protest from Shen-Lung as he stumbled after her.

"Razayka… I'm feeling really dizzy and light-headed…" Shen-Lung moaned.

Razayka finally snapped.

"Shen-Lung I am sick of your wailing! Honestly you're as dependent on others as a newborn pup! And in fact, it looks to me like you're not even an outcast at all. Have you been lying to me the whole time? You sick and pitiful excuse of a wolf…" She snarled and whirled around to face Shen-Lung.

Shen-Lung didn't answer; instead he fell on his side, his eyes closed.

"Shen-Lung!" Razayka exclaimed and ran up to him, putting an ear to his chest.

His heartbeat was normal, yet his breathing was unsteady.

Oh no! I hope I didn't hurt him too bad! This is my entire fault; we should've rested and got something to eat. I'm sorry Shen-Lung! It's because of my selfishness.

Razayka dragged his body away from the sight. It was getting darker and she knew that some wolf packs might be out hunting for a lovely dinner. And what could be nicer than a sick wolf?

She continued to push and pull Shen-Lung to a sheltered grove of leaf-bare trees.
I'll just make a nest for Shen-Lung and I, and then we'll be fine. Just fine. Razayka thought as she settled in a deserted hollow.

The fierce blizzard wind kept blowing in Razayka's face, even in the hollow.

Shen-Lung… Please wake up! I can't find any water anywhere. Razayka thought as she desperately started to kick snow at Shen-Lung's body.

That didn't do a thing. Razayka was then even more desperate; her negative side began to act up.

Some hungry wolf will find as and kill us, oh God no. She thought as she ran around in circles.

She stopped, as there was a cough from Shen-Lung.

"Shen-Lung, you're awake!" She cried and knelt beside his cold body.

"Razayka…. Fetch me some water, hurry!" He rasped, his throat sounding sore.

Razayka nodded and dashed off into the woods, looking for a lake, a river, a stream. Something.

She came across a small stream. Ice had built up on its banks, and chunks of it were floating along in the current.

Razayka grabbed a ball of frozen moss and dipped it into the near freezing water, the moss easily soaking up the water.

She rushed back to Shen-Lung, careful not to squeeze the moss ball too much or the water would gush out.

Razayka sighed in relief when she finally came to the sheltered hollow.

She dropped the moss ball near Shen-Lung's mouth and he licked up the precious liquid greedily.

"Better?" She asked him.

"Much."

There was a rustle in the bushes and Razayka looked up in surprise.

Two smoky gray wolves padded out into the open, their scent unfamiliar to Razayka, yet they also smelled of other wolves.

Are they in a pack possibly? She thought.

She backed away slowly, remembering the last time she was in a pack; she never wanted to go back after that.

"Get off our territory mutts!" The larger of the two snarled.

Razayka boldly stood the challenge and growled low in her throat.

"Who are you?" She demanded, showing her gleaming white teeth behind her lips.

"The question is who are you?" The other smartly replied.

The smaller wolf padded over to Shen-Lung, who had stayed on the ground the whole time.

"Hey… Aenaisaigo, look at this guys muzzle, don't it look familiar to you?"

The wolf growled in annoyance and approached his partner.

"Yeah… Yeah it does… Could it be..?"

"No way! I thought he died!"

"Apparently not…"

The two wolves began to mutter closely to each other, making Razayka extremely ticked.

"Will you two just leave? I'm no threat to your territory." Razayka shouted at the two.

They turned towards Razayka, then back to each other, a suspicious smile crossing their faces.

"You're coming with us." Aenaisaigo snickered and lunged at Razayka, ripping at her flesh.

"Get off me! Stubborn fool!" She spat, but Aenaisaigo had raised a large furry paw and whacked Razayka in the head causing her to lose consciousness the same way Shen-Lung had done.

None of you will dare touch him… She thought and noticed how strong her own words were before falling into deep unconsciousness.



***


"Who is she?"

"I dunno she looks like an outcast to me."

"What if she's from the other-?"

"I highly doubt it, if she had him with her that doesn't make her apart of it."

Razayka's thoughts came swirling back.

Apart of what; what on Earth are they talking about? Razayka thought.

Her eyes flickered open to see two wolves standing over her. Yet these were different wolves.

Slowly Razayka stood up, startling them both. She took this chance of silence to look at her surroundings. It seemed she was in a fairly large clearing with raised walls of snowy soil surrounding her like a barrier. There were many nests made up of dead bracken and brambles woven in with feathers and leaves. Dried mud made a type of plaster that held it all together. There were several of these intricate nests. There was a pile of prey where wolves gathered. They chatted to each other while eating, sometimes casting glances at Razayka as she stared.

Only one nest was different from the others, however, and this nest was a large, hollowed out boulder in the middle of the clearing. The entrance was guarded by two tough-looking wolves who stood tall and proud as if they were important.

Razayka turned back to the two wolves that surrounded her.

"Ahh… You're awake…. Go tell Kage." The wolf motioned towards the other who scampered off.

"Where am I? Where's Shen-Lung?" Razayka questioned.

"Huh? Shen-Lung, who the heck is Shen-Lung?" The wolf asked, tilting his head in puzzlement.

"The black wolf! The one with the odd-colored eyes?" Razayka said.

"Oh him, he's being cared for by our shaman." The wolf said.

Razayka relaxed. Shen-Lung was going to be all right, he was in the hands of an expert at- Wait a minute… Shaman? Did that mean she was in a wolf pack?

I must get out of here! I'm not good in packs. Razayka thought.

"Um… I got to go; I really don't want to be caught in all your pack things…" Razayka said, trying to barge past the blue-gray wolf, but he blocked her.

"Sorry, no can do. You have to stay here, Kage's orders." Said the wolf, pushing her back.

Kage… Where have I heard that name before? It seems familiar, but how? Razayka thought.

"I'm Leolon by the way." Said the blue-gray wolf, bowing down in the familiar greeting between wolves.

"Like I could care less…." Razayka mumbled, rolling her eyes.

Leolon smiled and winked at her.

"Fierce one aren't ya? I like the fierce ones…" Leolon smirked and winked again. He looked like he was trying very hard to impress her, but was failing. Some wolves who overheard him laughed at his stupid comment.

Razayka shook her head. These wolves were nothing but goons and jerks.

Razayka looked up as the other wolf came back, behind him strode a large wolf, his white fur sliced through with thick black stripes.

His eyes glowed deep amber, and his long black claws scored the ground beneath his feet.

Razayka stood up and walked over towards him, he looked familiar…

"This here is our Alpha male, Kage." Leolon reported, standing by his leader's side.

Kage smirked, his fangs long and sharp. He walked closer towards Razayka, and as he got closer, the smile disappeared and was replaced with an astonished expression.

He got so close to Razayka's face; she thought they would brush noses.

"Razayka… Is that you?" He whispered.

"How do you know my-" Understanding hit Razayka.

"Kage! I can't believe it's you!" Razayka screeched and they both laughed and pranced around each other.

Kage turned towards Razayka, an expression of wonder on his face, "How did you survive that huge massacre that happened?" He asked with a hint of worry. "I heard from some outsiders that a deadly and murderous wolf had attacked our old pack."

Razayka could feel a cold lump grow in her throat. What should she say? She couldn't tell her beloved brother that she was the murderer. Her only choice was to lie, however much she despised doing so.

"Oh it was awful!" She started, acting as if she had actually been there, "The wolf chased me, but I was faster than him and I managed to escape just before he caught me! It was so scary… I thought I was going to die! And then, in the aftermath, I went back to see if the pack survived and I found that both our mother and father were slaughtered by the terrible beast!"

"Our parents were killed?" Kage gasped. He then dug his claws deep into the ground, an expression of deep rage pasted on his face, "Oh if I find that wolf I'll tear him to shreds and roast his bloody body pieces on a stick for dinner…"

Worry flared in Razayka's belly. Kage sounded serious… What if he found out it was really her? Would he do the same thing he threatened to do even if she was his sister? Razayka felt herself sway, unbalanced by lies and worry.

Kage stopped making gouge marks in the snow and looked at Razayka, "Please continue your story." He asked.

"I then ran away and lived as an outcast for several months, worrying about you and all my friends that were alive in the old pack… I'm so glad you're OK!" She cried and started to fake sob.

"I'm so sorry I had to bring you back to the dreaded past, Razayka… But you and I are OK…" He murmured reassuringly and placed a paw on Razayka's shoulder in comfort.

Leolon stepped forward, confusion clearly showing on his face.

"Kage… You know this wolf?" Leolon asked.

Kage nodded. "Yes, yes I do, and it's been a long time since we've seen each other since we were separated. You see…" He looked back at Razayka. "She's my sister."

There was a gasp from both of the wolves, and they exchanged shocked glances at each other.

"I thought your only sibling was Lunalea?" Leolon said.

"Yeah… I lied…" Kage mumbled.

Leolon was about to ask another question when two wolves appeared. Razayka recognized the jet-black pelt as Shen-Lung's and immediately ran up to him.

"You're OK!" She yelled and placed her muzzle next to his then stepped back in embarrassment. Why did she do that?

"Ahhh seems you've met Keenai, our Beta." Kage explained. "Chi, you've raised him to good health." Kage motioned towards the other wolf.

"Wait a second… Keenai? He's Shen-Lung." Razayka said, looking at Kage with a confused tilt to her head.

"No, that's Keenai…" Kage stammered, unsure what was going on.

Razayka looked back at Shen-Lung.

"This true?"

Shen-Lung sighed.

"Yes… I knew I should have told you before." Keenai answered, his head bowed low.

"I only traveled with you because you are the wolf in the Starlight Prophecy."