by Natalie Erin
“Stop, stop! This is all that’s left of my pack!” Snapfoot shouted, running towards Crying Ice.
“Every wolf must die!” Crying Ice shouted in a delirious fashion, ignoring Snapfoot’s plea. She lunged out her back legs and Snapfoot went flying as she kicked him across the clearing. She’d missed delivering a devastating blow, so he got his bearings back quickly and came to his feet. It was too late, however. The unicorns had chased his pack into the openness of the plains, where it would be all too easy to slaughter them without the cover of the trees and bushes to protect them.
“Don’t!” Snapfoot howled. “Please, Creator, do something!” He joined his pack in the middle of the plains, where the wolves were giving it their all. Snapfoot knew this was the last thing they would ever do, that he would ever do, but it didn’t matter. He was going to fight to the bitter end to protect his pack, even if it meant his death.
“Unicorns of the plains, stop your madness!” a mystical voice boomed over the fields. Snapfoot had hope against hope as he looked up, for those were the words of a Changer.
A sandy-colored unicorn reared on top of a hillside overlooking the plains. Her face was one of determination and strength, eyes swirling with fire as she waved her hooves furiously in the air.
“Halt your fighting! End this quarreling amongst yourselves! Don’t harm your wolf friends!”
The unicorns looked up, one by one, eyes wide as they yelled proclamations of the Changer’s majesty.
“Look at her! She’s beautiful!”
“We must listen to her! It’s the right thing to do!”
“Everyone, back off, do what she says!”
“No!” Crying Ice said in frustration. “Keep going! The wolves must be slain!”
The unicorns looked at each other, confused. “But…Crying Ice…”
“Do it now, or I’ll kill you as well!”
The unicorns grudgingly lowered their horns, preparing to charge. The pack instinctively huddled together, and Snapfoot took the head. If his family had to die, he wanted to be the first one to go. This was it…not even the strange Changer could help them now.
“THIS HAS GONE ON FOR TOO LONG!”
Snapfoot looked upward, frozen in place as he saw a white dragon with his wings spread wide behind a black she-wolf, her eyes glowing like the sun, the white spots on her back sparkling like stars. The white dragon rose into the air, and the she-wolf cried, “THIS WAR MUST END!”
Some unicorns stopped dead in their tracks and stared up at the she-wolf, terrified. But some continued with Crying Ice’s orders, diving their horns towards Snapfoot’s pack.
The she-wolf cast her head back, giving a wild, untamable howl, and the very skies shook. The moon expanded, glowing over the scene with a mystical light as the very stars fell from the heavens. The stars sat glowing upon the ground before they formulated into shapes, becoming great beasts of light. Constellations of wolves and unicorns formed a barrier between the two sides, making a move on neither, but rather, forming a wall.
“She’s got the Creator on her side! It’s hopeless! Run!” a unicorn shouted. The herd tried to retreat, but the constellations simply herded them back into one place, so they couldn’t move.
“This is absurd! Someone get her!” Crying Ice shouted, trying to step around the starry constellation holding her back. She turned away from the constellations and charged towards the she-wolf upon the hill, horn lowered.
“You brought this upon yourself!” the sandy unicorn shouted. She flew towards Crying Ice, head lowered. Crying Ice reared up on her hind legs to meet her, and the sandy beast stabbed her horn into the mare’s heart.
When the sandy unicorn had run Crying Ice through, the darkness ended, the constellations returned to their places in the sky, and the moon returned to normal. Crying Ice fell over backwards, gave a grunt, and was no more.
“Why must everything end in death?” the sandy unicorn said in disgust, her horn dripping with blood. The other unicorns from the herd stood paralyzed with shock, stunned that the sandy unicorn had slaughtered Crying Ice.
“A unicorn,” they whispered. “A unicorn just killed a unicorn.”
“Not just any unicorn, that unicorn,” they hushed. “She’s come to save us from the Second Despondent.”
Snapfoot gazed back up at the she-wolf with the light of the stars upon her back. With a quivering voice, he asked, “Who are you?”
The she-wolf of the stars smiled at him. “It’s, me, brother. Midnightstar.”
Chapter Fourteen
Making Desperate Plans
Back in Sanctus Cruor, Jade waited under a guard of twelve Ortusans in one of the palace rooms, her legs hobbled, mouth muzzled with a small cage that left her enough room to talk, but not enough room to bite. She’d been dragged to the palace immediately by the mob, and had sustained heavy bruises and injuries, but that didn’t worry her now. She was more concerned about Shadowin, and if he’d gotten out.
The palace was ten times more extravagant than the city itself. The very floor was made of diamonds, and the statues of Aravoni and Carmilya, large and small, were everywhere. There wasn’t one space that wasn’t filled with useless, extravagant junk. Whoever Carmilya and Aravoni were, they sure liked to brag about their newfound wealth.
They would torture her to find out where her brother was, but Jade would never tell. They wouldn’t get their hands on her Shadowin. Following Omaira into the city had been a mistake, but there was nothing she could do about that now. The only thing she could do was sacrifice herself to keep her brother safe.
Another Ortusan entered the room. “They want to see her,” he told the group, and Jade felt a kick from behind as the guards started to head forward.
Because of her hobbles, she crept forward at a turtle’s pace, so the long walk down the carpeted hallway took even longer. There were few things in Jade’s life that had been as torturous as that long walk. She didn’t know what was going to happen to her, her friends, or her home. She could deal with the traumatizing truth, whatever it would come to be…but this unknowing was her hell.
The guards halted in front of two emerald doors. Jade tried to force herself to be brave. I am not afraid, not even of Bloodlusters, she told herself. Her voice sounded weak and small in her head.
The great doors opened and Jade steadied herself to meet the saints of Sanctus Cruor, the Bloodlusters Aravoni and Carmilya themselves.
Snapfoot gave a joyful cry, starting towards his sister with glee. “Midnightstar!” he cried. The two tumbled into each other and Snapfoot clumsily fell on her, his excitement causing him to lose his balance as she crashed, laughing, onto the ground.
“Watch what you’re doing,” a dragon by her side said and he looked up in awe, surprised that Midnightstar had a dragon traveling with her all this time.
“He’s my brother, Xiuh. Don’t get jealous,” Midnightstar said in a playful tone.
Both wolves got off the ground and Snapfoot said, “Mids! You came back!”
“I always wanted to come back,” she said, nuzzling his neck. “I just had to wait until it was time.”
“But…but you ran away, and…”
“We had to stop the unicorn war, Snapfoot!” A perky voice began babbling in his ear, and he noticed that Adelaide was beside him, with Tatl and Rabika tagging along. “There was no other way, but then we went to the Assembly and they couldn’t help, but then we found Dust, and then...”
“Tatl, Rabika, Adelaide! You’re all okay!” Snapfoot tumbled upon his friends, playfully pushing them to the ground and pretending to fight.
Tatl said, “I never realized how long we were gone until now. I feel like I’ve missed out on a part of my life.”
“But there’s a part of our life we’ve missed the most. Mama!” Adelaide said happily. She and her siblings headed down the hill, charging happily towards Lottie with cheerful barks. Snapfoot doubted he’d seen them happier.
Xiuh looked at Midnightstar and said, “I’l
l go help Dust with the unicorns.”
“I hardly doubt Dust needs help,” Midnightstar said, but she let him go, a wistful expression on her face.
After they had left, Snapfoot turned to his sister. “You…what was all of that? With the stars and the sky and everything?”
Midnightstar went to answer, but before she could, a familiar voice nearby cried, “I found you!”
Both of them turned, unable to believe their eyes as their eldest brother rushed to them. “I was looking for you, Snapfoot, but Mids is here too!” Shadowin said, amazed.
“How did you find us?” Snapfoot asked. “And where’s Jade? And Caini? They left with you.”
Shadowin’s face fell. Midnightstar looked out over the pack below. They had merged together with the unicorns, hanging onto Dust’s every word as she spoke to the group. “So few are left from the pack. Mother and Father…”
“Midnightstar,” Snapfoot said slowly, and she glanced at him. “A lot happened when you were gone.”
“Jade is kidnapped. She’s in Sanctus Cruor, the Ortusan city,” Shadowin said in devastation. “Our plan was to disguise ourselves as Ortusans and kill them one by one, but it failed. I escaped, but she’s still back there.”
“Then we must hurry,” Snapfoot said. “We have to gather the wolves so we can save her.”
“But Caini! Where is she?” Midnightstar demanded, stomping her foot down.
Both she and Snapfoot stared at Shadowin, and the wolf hung his head. “Come into the woods,” he said. They followed him slowly, a weight already sinking down their hearts. “You’re not going to like what I have to say, and I prefer that no one sees.”
Dawn was rearing out of the corner of the world by the time the three wolves came out of the woods. All of their faces were stone-cold with grief, misery mixing with the joy that they had found each other once again, making everything bittersweet.
“I can’t believe it,” Snapfoot said as they slowly crossed down the hill, making their way back to the pack. “Caini, Mom, and Dad…all gone.”
“It’s too much,” Midnightstar moaned. “Mother and Father I can understand. They were old, and it was their time. But Caini was so young! It seems so wrong, especially since she died in such a horrible way.”
Shadowin nodded slowly. “And you, a skygazer. I can’t believe it.”
“I didn’t want to be, at first,” she admitted. “I fought it. But you can’t fight who you’re meant to be.”
“They will not quarrel amongst each other again,” Dust said as she came up from behind him, swishing her tail. “The unicorns and the wolves have agreed that this war is foolish. After ten years, it has finally ended.”
Midnightstar felt tears perk in her eyes. “After so long, and it took so much sacrifice.”
“It’s okay, Midnightstar. Now we can finally rest,” Xiuh said, coming up to her with Adelaide, Tatl and Rabika in his wake.
“No, Xiuh. Now we must take down the Ortusans in Sanctus Cruor,” Midnightstar answered.
“You wish for more bloodshed?” Dust asked, unable to believe it.
“My sister’s in there,” Snapfoot said, turning to the unicorn. “We have to save her.”
“She’s not the only one that was taken, Snapfoot,” Tatl said. “There was another one. A thin she-wolf with a gray coat. She was injured and wandering their border, looking for food. We tried to save her on our way here as we passed the city, but she was gone before we had a chance.”
“Kaliska,” he moaned.
“They probably think she’s with Jade,” Shadowin said. “And I’m betting they’re being held hostage right now.”
“The pack has to save them,” Snapfoot said.
“This pack is not enough. That city has hundreds of Ortusans,” Shadowin argued. “We need more animals.”
“Do you think you can do that really cool thingy again, Mids?” Adelaide asked innocently, hopefully wagging her tail. “The thing with the stars?”
Midnightstar shook her head. “That took everything I had, Adelaide. It’s like the Great One’s power. It’s not infinite, and it needs time to replenish. I won’t be able to do that again for a while.”
“The unicorns will unite with you,” a green stallion proclaimed, coming forward. “It is time for our adversity to end. Let us fight together against the enemy, wolf and unicorn as brothers.”
“The Bloodlusters will help as well,” a raspy voice added, and all creatures screamed as Valdus came into the clearing.
“No, no, he’s a friend!” Snapfoot shouted, and the clearing fell silent in shock.
A rude voice broke the quiet. “You made friends with a Bloodluster?” Rabika said, jaw dropping.
“Sort of,” Snapfoot said meekly.
“And how did you do that?” Lottie asked, though by her voice you could tell she had it figured out.
“Not now, Aunt Lottie,” Snapfoot whispered to her.
Valdus licked his lips. “Yes, Sanctus Cruor will go down. With you helping us, we stand a fair chance.”
The crowd mumbled, but no one was willing to do anything to spur the Bloodlusters away as allies.
“There are only two things that can kill Ortusans,” Midnightstar said. “A wolf’s bite, or a stake to the heart.”
“I believe our horns will do just fine,” the stallion said, nodding.
“And we shall tear apart any that remain behind,” Valdus seethed.
“It’s settled. Only together do we stand a fair chance,” Midnightstar said.
Xiuh nudged her. “It would be foolish to go at it any other way.”
Chapter Fifteen
The Hall of Carmilya and Aravoni
The saints posed high upon golden thrones, sneering downward at the servants clustered around their chairs. Saint Aravoni sat tall, a look of twisted rage overwhelming his features. He wore rich, emerald green robes, lined with white fur.
Saint Carmilya sat beside him. She carried an air of arrogance that Jade could smell, even from this distance. She wore a velvet, ruby gown that glittered with diamonds, covered in a bear’s hide cloak.
On the floor before them was a thin gray wolf. She was shackled as well, and seemed sick from starvation.
“Get up there, you mutt.” An Ortusan kicked Jade hard in the sides, and she tumbled forward. The other wolf glanced at her before lowering her eyes.
“What is this one called?” Sanctus Carmilya asked in a bored fashion, turning her face to stare blankly at a stained glass window of herself, the corners of her mouth upturned in a sneer.
“Jade,” the wolf said, without knowing if she was to answer or not.
“I thought there were two of the fleabags,” Aravoni growled. “Where’s the other one?”
“I will never betray my friends,” Jade replied. “You’re going to have to kill me first.”
“Friends? Does that mean there is more than a few?” Carmilya questioned, peering down at the wolf with deep, black eyes. They were strange and alien, lifeless, and full of a frightening power. Jade sunk down, realizing she had made a mistake.
“How many are there?” Aravoni snapped.
“I don’t know,” Jade answered, the lie hidden behind a growl.
“You have to know! They were with you!” Aravoni demanded.
He turned his attention to the gray wolf crouching against the floor. “What about you? Do you know?”
“I’ve told you. I was alone,” the gray wolf said. “I never even entered the city until you snatched me up.”
“That’s a load of crap!” Aravoni rose to his feet on the dais circling the throne, and Jade looked closer. His features weren’t old, but rather young. Very young.
“You aren’t a god!” Jade barked, and her expression of terror turned into an obnoxious smirk. “You’re just a spoiled teenager!”
Carmilya clapped a hand over her mouth and laughed loudly as Aravoni turned bright red. Hissing, the Bloodluster pointed at Jade and shouted, “I have more power in one finger than
you have in your entire body! If that is not godly, then I don’t know what is!”
Now that he was leaning downward, Jade could recognize him for what he was. “You!” she snarled. “You’re Kennu’s cousin, Aravon! You’re the one who left his family and ran away when I was a pup! You led Allie and Kennu right to Wyntier last spring!”
“You’d better shut up,” Aravon growled, curling his long fingers. “Just because I was turned as a teenager doesn’t mean I don’t have the mind of a...”
“I don’t care how old you are! You still act like a whiny kid!” Jade shouted triumphantly. “You’re not Saint Aravoni! I bet you made that up! You’re just a child, trying to be something you never could!”
“They’ve summed you up perfectly, darling!” Carmilya giggled. “You are just a poor little teenager.”
“I am all powerful!” Aravon shouted, glaring at his companion. “You should know that!”
“All powerful? That’s bullshit, and you know it!” Carmilya shouted back, still laughing just as hard. “I could tear you to bits if I wanted to.”
“You could not! I killed twenty foxes by myself just to line this robe,” he stated, lifting up his garment and displaying it to her vainly.
“Ooh, a fox. No big deal. I killed a bear, which is about a million times harder to fight!” she snapped.
“Oh come on, it was tiny!” he growled.
“No, it was huge!” She scowled at him, spreading her arms wide.
“I was there!” he replied. “It was small, and probably sick. Nothing to kill.”
“Bullshit it was sick!”
Jade watched the fight from below, her head bobbing back and forth. She’d been terrified of Aravoni and Carmilya when she’d come, but now, all they were reduced to in her mind were squabbling children.
“I bet you couldn’t even kill a bear that was already dying,” Carmilya teased, crossing her arms. “Without using the Strength.”
