"Once upon a time, a-"
"No, no! You can't start it like that. It's a dark story so, you got to start it off differently. 'Once upon a time' is too sappy."
"Fine, fine. Whatever you say... Ahem.. Once upon a dark time. There were two brothers. Lupus and Anubis. Lupus was born from the sky, like us, while Anubis was born from... the Underneath. They were both very ancient, sacred beings. Lupus was gifted with the blue eyes of the sky. While Anubis was gifted with the red eyes of the underneath. Beasts from the sky made Lupus to protect the Earth from the two Land Walkers that were made, as did the beasts of the underneath. But where Lupus was naturaly pure of the sky... Anubis was naturaly tainted of the underneath. It was Great Lupus' job to create with gentle kindness and it was Anubis' job to protect it with ambitious fighting skill... but it wasn't enough for Anubis; he became hungry for power. Anubis betrayed Lupus by gathering half of Lupus' disciples and turning them against him! All of Anubis' followers eye's turned black and empty with hatred and they sought to overthrow Great Lupus who wasn't interested in fighting with Anubis... Lupus loved Anubis too much and it wasn't in his nature to destroy, only create. So when Anubis and his followers entered Lupus' territory, the disciples slaughtered each other. After the battle, Anubis was seriously injured in the fight and knew he would die, so he forced Lupus to kill him by taking one of his cubs hostage... Lupus, poisoned by the stench of so much death and hatred, complied... and snapped Anubis' neck, without even touching him! Lupus; heartbroken, then began to cry. His tears then flowed like the river and took away all the death and hatred, giving the world a new start in life and not long after, Great Lupus died of his broken heart."
A tiny whimper from a small, white wolf cub caused a bigger, brown wolf cub to roll his eyes. "Nalan, you're such a no moon cub." The pup groaned, shaking his head helplessly.
"Am not!" Nalan snapped shakily, tears still in her eyes. She gave a little sniffle.
The two adults watching, both looked at each other in amusement before the black adult male with orange eyes stood to his paws, towering over the small wolf cubs sternly. "Come on now you two, we told you your story now follow Cricket's example will you?" He growled. The two cubs looked over in the corner of then den at their sleeping friend reluctantly.
"Go on, you heard Hurusum. Get to sleep!" The white she-wolf growled sharply. Nalan crawled obediently if not fearfully towards Cricket, the other stayed behind glaring at them.
The white she-wolf glared back before leaning back on her haunches and sighing, looking away from him then to nowhere in particular with a bored expression. "Such a shame." She sighed, closing her eyes and Hurusum glanced at her oddly, flicking up an ear. "I was starting to enjoy telling night-tails... it'd be a shame if I had to stop because of one, rebellious cub who wouldn't go to sleep like he was told." The she-wolf sighed once more before smirking, peeking through one, bright, green eye.
Hurusum chuckled beside her as the last cub hurriedly turned tail and ran to join his sleeping friends.
"Clever, but I think my intimidation still would've worked." Hurusum snorted playfully, turning away to exit the den.
The she-wolf got to her paws and followed him out with a roll of her eyes. "They're supposed to sleep in the den, not wee themselves in it." She said jokingly, pushing her shoulder into the black male's haunches.
"Hey! You were scarier than I was! Poor Nalan, I bet she did wee herself. And guess whose going to have to clean it up?" Hursum jumped away from her to stand muzzle to muzzle, eyes narrowed but before she could answer, he did it for her. "Azalae! And no one wants to deal with that." He shuddered and she couldn't help but agree, feeling a chill go up her spine.
"Well, hopefully it doesn't come to that, we're still young too, yah know. I'll just blame it on my immaturity." She woofed jokingly, walking past Hurusum's nose with her own in the air.
"Kindle, seriously. I am not getting chewed on by Azalae." Hurusum growled. He moved to follow her but something stopped him and it wasn't good. His nose searched the air and it wasn't hard to pick up a sinister stench of Redsky wolves.
Kindle stilled as well, ears upright. "Kindle." Hurusum's voice came from beside her, his eyes were darting from left to right. "I'll lead them away, you go back to the cubs." He said in a low, urgent voice.
Kindle's green eyes darted to his orange ones, narrowed. "No, I'm the faster runner. We'll run together, scatter our scent, then break off. It'll give you a head start to get away. Alright?" Kindle's green, fiery eyes bore into his defiantly and they had no time to argue, so he nodded firmly.
Without a word, Kindle took off and Hurusum followed her. There was a loud rustling behind them and a few outraged snarls before the chase started but Kindle and Hurusum had a good start to weave in and out of the trees as if confused and lost.
They both met each other under a sapling, panting heavily. "I'll run quicker than the wind and bring back help." Kindle said quickly. Hurusum nodded and Kindle's throat tightened as she searched his warm, flamable eyes before quickly turning away and dashing towards the howls of pursuit.
Hurusum watched her, knowing it was too hard for her to say goodbye... because there was a chance they weren't coming out of this alive. "Goodbye, dear sister." Hurusum said softly before she could vanish into the thicket.
Having successfully approached the den they left the three cubs in, Hurusum guessed they took the bait and followed Kindle. Lupus guide her, Hurusum prayed before entering the den. "Cubs? Cubs! Wake up!" Hurusum whispered urgently, probbing them awake.
Jeremih, the brown, male cub yawned, blinking open his eyes sleepily. "H-Huh... what's going on, uncle Huru?" He asked sleepily, swaying to his paws and Cricket did as well, plopping onto her haunches with a dreamy like look on her face.
"We're moving to a new den." Hurusum lied and both cubs instantly jumped awake, eyes widened excitedly.
"Wow, cool!" He shouted, making Hurusum flinch before shushing him quickly but he paused, searching the den with his eyes then landing them back on Jeremih.
"Where is Nalan?" He asked quickly, nosing the two aside to sniff at the ground.
"I dunno... I think she went to potty." Jeremih yawned, rubing his eyes with one paw. "I saw her walk out after stepping on my nose." The pup growled grumpily, eyes squinting as he remembered the rude disruption of his awesome dreams.
"Um.. alright, let's go." Hurusum rushed them to their tired paws but the strong smell of Redsky wolves stopped him in his tracks. He forced his fur to stay put. "Uuh..." He said nervously, shifting his eyes around the den... Then he widened his eyes in realization. The secret exit Kindle and I used to use when we were cubs! He looked towards the entrance of the den then towards the cubs who were beginning to look uncomfortable. Hurusum leaned down to the two cubs and spoke mischeviously to them. "I think Nalan is playing hide and seek past her bed time. Want to help me find her?"
Jeremih smirked and Cricket tilted her head. "You have to be very quiet so you don't give your position away, okay? So will you help me?" Hurusum asked quietly and both pups quickly nodded their heads, looking excited. "Good! Now there's three rocks in the back of the den, one is shaped like a pile of stink. If you move it, you can find the way out. Meet me under the black berry bushes and whatever you do, do not move until I get there. Okay?" Hurusum instructed, both pups were already scurrying off to find the rock that looked like a pile of stink. Hurusum smiled weakly before lifting his head and looking towards the entrance of the den, muzzle twitching angrily.
As he stood at the mouth of the den, Huru was faced with four terrifying looking wolves. The one with the nicked ear held a trembling Nalan in his jaws, whose eyes widened on Hurusum before whimpering out helplessly. Hurusum growled, letting his hackles and fur rise. "Let her go!" Hurusum snarled, eyeing the four threateningly.
He dropped Nalan upon the ground and she quickly ran to Hurusum who breathed in relief as she ran under him and hid behind his legs. "Your wish is my command... but it comes with a price." The one with the torn ear sneered. "Have you ever played the game... keep away?" He cackled viciously and they all revealed their canines, snarling while closing in. Hurusum eyed all of them nervously then gathered Nalan in his jaws before darting away.
The four wolves gave a twisted noise of amusement before giving chase once more.
X-X-X-X
There was a hard thud of a solid body meeting the forest floor. Then as Kindle tried to control her breathing, a large, black paw came out and slammed down on the head of a Redsky wolf. A muzzle revealing a row of large, glinting canines shone in the moonlight, red-like eyes coming into view. "Kindle." It's deep voice caused the white she-wolf to flick her ears slightly backwards but there was no time to be submissive. "Explain." It demanded, rotating it's foot upon the head of the dead wolf.
"We have to get back to the den, Hurusum and the pups are in trouble!" Kindle panted heavily. She felt as if her chest were going to cave in and suffocate her.
The red eyes narrowed and immediately it lifted it's head to the sky and howled.