by Sophie Torro
Aurora shifted her wings and allowed the salty breeze to carry her to the ground. With a sigh of relief, she landed on the warm sand and folded back her wings, coming to a halt at a respectful distance away from Nautilus’ cave. She didn’t want to barge in like she owned the place.
Aurora’s paws seemed to scream in protest. She didn’t even have enough energy to stand right now. Aurora allowed herself to sink to the ground, so she could bask in the soothing sun. She was exhausted from her long flight. Every muscle in her body was sore.
Aurora closed her eyes, unable to resist dozing off. The sound of the rolling waves eased her anxieties about Blizzard and Queen Tempest. For a moment, life seemed to be okay.
And then there was an ear-splitting screech.
Aurora was jolted awake. She jumped to her paws and flared her wings. Her heart raced. What in Elementa was that!? Aurora wondered in distress. Dread oozed over her. Oh no. Nautilus! Ember! They’re in trouble!
Aurora immediately ran to Nautilus’ cave, unable to force her aching wings to fly. Her paws kicked up clouds of sand as she exploded across the beach. Her concern for her new friends gave her one last burst of energy.
Aurora skidded to a halt by the mouth of Nautilus’ den. She immediately rushed inside. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dim lighting, but when they did, Aurora was hit with a wave of fear.
Ember was backed up against the cavern wall, his orange eyes wide. Ember’s dark red pelt bristled with fear underneath his black cloak. But Ember wasn’t what terrified Aurora. There was another wolf in the den with them—one that Aurora had never met before.
It was a Fire Wolf.
His fur was light red, while his paws glowed with heat, causing the sand to turn black underneath his pads. The newcomer’s pelt was wildly spiked out, making him look twice his size. Ember pressed himself closer against the wall, looking stricken.
Without thinking, Aurora immediately cannoned into the newcomer’s side, pushing him away from Ember. He hit the ground with a thud, his yellow eyes growing wide.
Aurora bared her fangs at the Fire Wolf, growling dangerously. “Who are you?” she demanded. “How did you find this place? Did you hurt Ember? Where’s Nautilus? If you had harmed either of them, I’ll—”
Without warning, fangs locked around Aurora’s scruff, yanking her backward. She let out a startled yelp. “Ember?” she gasped. “What are you doing?” For a moment, Aurora couldn’t help but wonder if Ember was a traitor, and had done something terrible to Nautilus. Aurora instinctively lashed out at Ember, whacking the side of his snout with her paw.
Ember let out a growl and pulled back, his eyes watering. “What was that for?” Ember demanded furiously, his voice tight with pain. “Why are you attacking us?” He gingerly lifted his injured paw and attempted to rub away the pain on his snout.
Aurora lashed her tail. “Attacking you?” she echoed in disbelief. “I was trying to rescue you from this stranger!” The Fire Wolf was still on the ground, trembling. Aurora roughly dragged him to his paws. “Who are you?” she demanded. “Why were you hurting Ember?”
The stranger opened and closed his mouth a few times, but was too nervous to answer Aurora. She let out a frustrated growl.
Ember abruptly limped forward. “Relax, Aurora,” he told her. “This isn’t what you think it is. This wolf is Nautilus, and he wasn’t hurting me.”
Aurora couldn’t believe her ears. Perhaps Ember wasn’t as calculating and intelligent as she had first thought. “Nautilus?” she echoed in disbelief. “Ember, you must be joking. Nautilus is a Water Wolf, remember?”
Ember impatiently flicked his tail. “Show her,” he told the Fire Wolf.
The bright red wolf hesitated for a long moment, looking unsure of himself. Then, suddenly, his fur began to turn dark blue. His tail morphed into one belonging to a fish, with scales of green and hints of indigo. His yellow eyes transformed into pools of light green. Standing in front of Aurora was Nautilus.
Aurora let out a startled yelp. “What in Elementa…?”
Nautilus shyly gazed down at his webbed paws, shifting anxiously like he expected Aurora to yell at him at any moment.
Aurora stared at her friend with wide eyes. “You’re a hybrid, aren’t you?” she asked in a shocked voice. “Half Water Wolf, and half Fire Wolf.”
Nautilus answered her with a small nod. “Yes,” he responded in a voice barely louder than a whisper. “It’s okay if you don’t want to be my friend anymore. I understand.”
Aurora was too stunned to react for a moment. Then, she laughed. “Why wouldn’t I want to be friends with the coolest wolf in Elementa?” she asked Nautilus, giving him a friendly bump on the side. “I think you’re incredible!”
Nautilus gave her a surprised smile, his ears perking up. “Really?” he asked.
Aurora was surprised by how unsure he sounded. “Really,” she reaffirmed.
Ember silently retreated to a more shadowy part of the den and sat down. He winced slightly because of the pain in his wounded paw. However, it was looking much better than the last time Aurora had seen Ember. He was recovering quickly.
“So,” Ember said, “why don’t you tell Aurora about your elemental power, Nautilus?” His orange eyes seemed to glow in the shadows.
Nautilus looked embarrassed. “Well, I guess I have three elemental powers, instead of just one like other wolves,” he began sheepishly. “My main power is shapeshifting, I guess. I can transform into a full Water Wolf, or a full Fire Wolf, at will.” Nautilus glanced at his fish-like tail. “When I’m in this form, I have this tail, kind of like how your elemental power gives you wings, Aurora. That’s my second power.”
Aurora nodded attentively. This was fascinating. Nautilus was probably the first hybrid in Elementa for thousands of moons.
Nautilus abruptly transformed into a Fire Wolf. His paws immediately scorched the sand again, causing a rancid smell to fill the air. “When I’m in this form, my third power makes my paws… uh… really hot?” Nautilus smiled self-consciously. “I’m a bit odd. I still don’t entirely understand myself yet.
Without warning, Nautilus’ eyes grew as wide as a full moon. He jumped back. Aurora wildly whipped around to see what had spooked him. It was… a crab? The orange creature scuttled around Aurora’s paws.
Nautilus shrunk back in fear. “Please get it out of here,” he whimpered fearfully.
Ember impatiently flicked his ear. “Is that why you were shrieking earlier?” he sharply asked Nautilus. “Because you nearly scared me out of my fur!”
Aurora wrinkled her snout. “Me too,” she said. “That’s why I thought you were being attacked, Ember.”
Nautilus let out an undignified yelp as the crab curiously scuttled closer to him. “Get it out. Get it out!” he pleaded.
Ember rose to his paws and strode toward the crab. He gently picked the little creature up with his fangs and carried it outside. “I can’t believe it,” Ember mumbled. “A wolf who’s afraid of a crab.” He released the orange creature and it immediately clambered away.
Nautilus gave Ember an admiring look as he stalked past him. “Thank you,” he breathed, earning a grunt of disapproval.
Aurora kicked at a loose pebble. “So,” she said to Nautilus, “you said that you don’t entirely understand yourself yet. Didn’t your parents help you understand your powers?”
Nautilus looked startled. “My parents?” he asked. “Oh, no, of course not. I don’t remember my parents. They disappeared when I was just a pup.”
Aurora was surprised by how unfazed Nautilus looked. She couldn’t imagine life without her parents growing up. They had shaped her identity, made her who she is today. Without her parents and Blizzard, she would have felt lost. “Do you have any siblings?” Aurora asked. She felt bad about prying, but Nautilus didn’t seem to mind.
The hybrid shook his head. “No,” he responded. “I’ve been on my own for as long as I can
remember. I mostly just try to keep my distance from all of Elementa.”
Sadness crept into Aurora’s heart. That sounded so lonely.
Nautilus must have noticed the look on Aurora’s face. “It doesn’t matter now,” he quickly reassured her, “because now I have you and Ember as best friends.” Nautilus smiled like a pup howling at the moon for the first time.
Ember watched Nautilus and Aurora from the shadows without blinking. “I would consider us to be more like acquaintances,” he responded. “Like you, I also enjoy keeping my distance from the rest of Elementa, to live as a wanderer.” At Nautilus’ and Aurora’s hopeful expressions, Ember added, “But unlike you, Nautilus, I keep my secrets a secret, and I don’t share my identity with the first wolves I meet.”
Nautilus frowned. “I thought that it would be good if you knew the truth sooner rather than later,” he told Ember. “I knew that you would be living with me until your paw healed. So, why hide my true identity, when you were bound to figure it out anyway?”
Ember’s orange-eyed gaze slunk over to Aurora. “Since we’re all sharing information today,” he said curiously, “why don’t you tell us where you flew off to, Aurora?” Was there a hint of accusation in his voice, or had Aurora just imagined it?
Aurora sat down, suddenly feeling weary. She told Ember and Nautilus about her encounter with Queen Tempest, and how she had refused to listen to reason. Queen Tempest was clearly uninterested in unifying the four packs of Elementa, no matter how hard Aurora tried to convince her. Aurora felt dizzy when she recalled the swarm of guards that had pursued her, and how Blizzard had sacrificed himself.
At the end of her story, Nautilus went to gently rest his tail on Aurora’s, trying to comfort her. “I’m sorry to hear about Blizzard,” Nautilus gently said.
However, Ember wasn’t so sympathetic.
“How foolish can you possibly be?” the Fire Wolf growled. “Of course a monster like Queen Tempest wouldn’t listen. She enjoys harming wolves from the other packs. You’re lucky you escaped the Sky Pack with your life, Aurora.”
Aurora hung her head in shame. Ember’s words hurt, but she knew that they were true. “You’re right,” she whispered. “It was a mistake. Now Blizzard has paid the price, and I’ll never be able to return to the Sky Pack again.”
Ember impatiently flicked his tail, but said nothing. He looked away from the other wolves, a scowl on his face.
Outside the cave, the sun was beginning to set behind the ocean, turning the sky orange and yellow. Seagulls glided in the dusk sky, squawking.
Nautilus gave Aurora a kind smile. “Living as a lone wolf isn’t that terrible,” he told her in a gentle voice. “Ember and I have been on our own for moons. And at least the three of us have each other now. It’s like we have a pack of our very own.”
Aurora returned Nautilus’ smile, despite his words agitating her. He had only been trying to help make her feel better. “Thanks,” she said. “You’re right. Things could be a lot worse.” It was true. Aurora could have been on her own right about now, wandering around Elementa with no place to go. At least she had a home here… for now.
Aurora rose to her paws and silently moved toward the far side of the cave, away from the others. She needed time alone to think. What should her next move be? Give up, Aurora thought sullenly. Give up on everything, and never return home. What else can I do? It’s not like I can unite Elementa or anything. I’ve tried! Perhaps the best thing to do now is stay in hiding with Nautilus and Ember, until the rest of my days.
With a defeated sigh, Aurora curled up against the sandy floor. She knew that tonight, sleep would be a long way coming. Memories of what she had lost today would haunt her forever. Oh Blizzard, Aurora thought in anguish. I’m so, so sorry.
CHAPTER 9
The sound of whispers woke Aurora. She had to hold back a groan of annoyance. Couldn’t Ember and Nautilus be a bit quieter? Aurora was still exhausted; it felt like she had only been sleeping for a few hours. Why did her denmates need to be discussing something so early in the morning?
The whispers continued, growing slightly louder. Aurora peeked open one green eye. Confusion immediately hit her.
Outside of Nautilus’ cave rested a gigantic full moon. It hung above the ocean’s waves, turning them silver. Millions of stars glimmered in the inky night sky. It wasn’t morning at all.
Huh? Aurora thought nervously. She cautiously rose to her paws and silently scanned the cave. Nautilus was curled up in the shallow lagoon, while Ember rested on a ledge jutting out of the den’s wall. The two wolves were both asleep.
Fear thundered in Aurora’s heart when the sound of claws scraping against sandstone crept through the night. The noise was silently, barely audible in the crashing waves, but was there nonetheless. There was a stranger approaching them.
Terrified, Aurora silently ran to Nautilus, and shook him awake with her wing. Get up, she soundlessly pleaded to her friend. Get up right now. Hurry!
Confusion and worry filled Nautilus’ light green eyes when he spotted the fear on Aurora’s face. He drew in a breath to speak, but Aurora wildly shook her head before he could utter a word. “Hide,” she mouthed to him. “Now.”
Nautilus’ gills fluttered anxiously. Without wasting a moment, he ducked his head under the water and quietly swam further down the lagoon, disappearing into the depths.
Aurora immediately rushed over to Ember’s ledge. However, the Fire Wolf was already awake, his orange eyes alert. It was as if he had sensed the danger and woken up because of it. “We need to hide,” Aurora whispered to him, just loud enough so he would hear. “Someone is coming.”
Ember’s eyes grew wide. “Is it a Fire Wolf?” he whispered back, a hint of panic straining his voice. “Does she look like me? Dark red fur, orange eyes? Are three other wolves with her?”
Aurora’s fur bristled. Ember’s specific questions confused her, but there was no time to waste by discussing them. “I don’t know,” she quickly responded. “And I don’t want to find out the hard way. Is there room on the ledge for the two of us?”
Ember nodded. He silently shuffled over, and Aurora carefully climbed up to join him. Their fur touched for the first time. Aurora had never been this close to the grouchy Fire Wolf before. Ember was surprisingly cold—much colder than Aurora. Wasn’t a Fire Wolf always supposed to be warm? Why didn’t Ember use his elemental power to heat himself? Maybe Ember’s power doesn’t work like that, Aurora thought. After all, he never told us what his power is, so this could be normal.
“Your white pelt is shining in the moonlight,” Ember whispered in frustration. Dread crashed into Aurora when she realized that it was true. Before she could respond, Ember flung his black cloak over Aurora. “Wear this and don’t move.”
Aurora and Ember suddenly froze. A long shadow fell into the cave, silhouetting curved ears and pointed fangs. There was a slow, menacing growl. Pawsteps approached them, careful and light, like a wolf stalking its prey.
A Sky Wolf prowled inside Nautilus’ den, his blue eyes shimmering eerily. He wore silver armour and metal reinforcements on his claws, as if he was expecting a fight. Two other Sky Wolves stalked inside the cave, joining the first. They looked just as unfriendly.
Aurora’s heart was beating so fast that she was sure her former packmates would hear it. Realization had struck her like jagged fangs. Queen Tempest sent these guards, Aurora fearfully thought. They must be looking for me. Queen Tempest isn’t going to let her enemies go so easily. Panic began to seize Aurora.
Ember slowly moved his tail to rest it on Aurora’s. She stiffened. Was that supposed to be a comforting gesture, or a ‘stop freaking out because your fear scent will be the death of us all’ gesture? Aurora couldn’t tell. She didn’t dare move her gaze away from the guards.
The three Sky Pack wolves were silently creeping through the cave, clearly searching for something. Aurora and Ember pressed themselves as low as they possib
ly could.
“You think those traitors are in here?” one Sky Wolf barked to the leader, after a long moment.
He flexed his claws. “I thought I caught their scent earlier,” he growled. “But it’s hard to tell in this dreadful cave. The reek of salt water is killing me.” He bared his fangs and let out a frustrated growl.
The third Sky Wolf angrily shook away sand that had clumped between her claws. “I don’t see why we need to be tracking down a traitorous runaway,” she complained. “All enemies of Queen Tempest are going to be annihilated in a few nights anyway.”
The leading guard shot her a warning look. “That’s supposed to be a secret,” he snarled.
She shrugged nonchalantly. “It’s not like anyone is here to listen,” she retorted. Amusement glowed in her silver eyes. “I can’t wait to help wipe out the other elementals. The looks on their faces will be hilarious when they realize what’s happening.”
“It’ll be great,” the second guard agreed enthusiastically. His tail wagged. “Queen Tempest will use her awesome storm powers to freeze all of Elementa. She’ll transform the entire continent into Sky Pack territory, thanks to her new crown.”
Aurora’s eyes widened. New crown? she thought. What new crown? How will something like that help her turn Elementa into a frozen wasteland? A sinking feeling of dread began to fill Aurora.
The leading guard impatiently lashed his tail. “I can’t wait to stamp out the other packs like the pests that they are,” he rumbled. “Queen Tempest will be doing Elementa a service by destroying the other elementals.”
A greedy look filled the third guard’s silver eyes. “I wish I could borrow Queen Tempest’s crown,” she hissed. “Imagine the power it contains. All that White Elemental Heart filling you with strength is any Sky Wolf’s dream.”
Aurora nearly fainted. White Elemental Heart? she thought with a surge of dismay. Oh no. No, no, no! Now it makes sense. Now I know why the queen said that I helped her get closer to conquering Elementa. I was the one to personally deliver all that White Elemental Heart to her. I was the one who helped her create her crown!
