I don't own Balto or any of the characters.
The Shadow Game
Chapter 1: The New Team
The morning sun was slowly rising in the sky in Nome, Alaska. Kodi opened his eyes, as the sun shined through the window. He got up, yawned, and then scratch.
He went outside, sown was slowly falling to the ground. There was already sown on the ground, but not much. Looks like winter is here again, he thought. He thought about when the last time, he did dog sledding. The last time, he did dog sledding was the dog sled team and the bush plane race, which was months ago.
He went to the boiler room. He found his three friends Kirby, Ralph, and Dusty. "Hey guys," he said.
"Hey Kodi, how's it going?" Kirby asked.
"Good, you guys?"
"Fine," Dusty said. Ready for dog sledding again?"
"You bet," Kodi said. Can't wait to get my paws working again."
"What are talking about getting your paws working again? Kirby asked. I saw you running on the beach all summer."
"Hey, I least I didn't sleep my butt off all summer," Kodi laughed as he looked at his three friends.
"Hey you know, we deserve a break from all that running," Ralph said.
"Well break over guys," the red and white husky said. Because in a few days, our jobs are back."
Two people were running in the night Alaska forest. There was a woman and a man. The woman stopped to catch her breath.
"C'mon on, we got to keep moving!" the man said, grabbing the woman's arm.
They ran as they heard a voice. "You can't escape the Game," the voice said. You must play or you will never see day again."
The woman cried as the voice kept talking.
"You all already lost seven people," it said. Only one can survive the Game. Others will die. Your dead friends souls are now my. You left them to die. You never cared about them."
"SHUT UP!" the man screamed. LEAVE US ALONE!" The man looked around the dark forest.
"Honey we are not going to make it," the woman said as tears ran down her face.
"Hey don't say that," the man said hugging her. Just a few more hours and it will be daylight. We are going make it out. I promise." The man kissed the woman's forehead.
"Only one will survive," the voice said in the darkness. Those are the rules."
"Look we are not going to play your stupid Game!" the man yelled. Just let us GO, okay?"
"Then both of you will die," the voice said.
"I DON'T WANT TO DIE!" the woman said screaming in tears. She said it over and over again.
"We are not going to die," the man said.
As they begin to run again, they saw a figure. The figure was in the darkness. It had a pair of light purple eyes. It stepped out in the dark. In the moonlight, it didn't show a face. All it show the figure's body was shadow with the light purple eyes. "If you won't play the Game, then you lose," the dark figure said. And when people lose in the Game, they die."
Kodi woke up in the boiler room. He then remembered, today was the first day back for mail run. He bolted out of the boiler room! He ran to the post office where he saw Mr. Simpson getting the mail on the sled. He saw that his friends, where already hooked up to the sled.
"Kodi where you been, we almost ready to leave," Kirby sapped.
"Hey sorry guys, I was sleeping," Kodi said, as Mr. Simpson hooks him up.
"Alright everyone," the musher said. Mush!"
As the dog sled team ran to White Mountain, sown started to fall…hard. Clouds covered the sun. That wasn't good. That wasn't good at all.
As the dogs ran, Kodi thought he saw something, moved in the trees. What is that, he asked himself? It's nothing. Nothing at all. But he couldn't stop thinking something was following them.
Once they reached White Mountain, the sown was now falling so hard now. "I think you and you're dogs should stay tonight," the postmaster said to Mr. Simpson. I already got a room for you and you're dogs."
The dogs were asleep in a room were sled dogs sleep. While the musher was in another room. Outside there was a sown storm. Everyone in White Mountain was asleep. Unaware a boy was walking in a dark alley. He looked at the palm of his left hand. He focuses the dark powers through his body. As he looked at his palm, a dark purple flame appeared on his left palm. It wasn't hurting him or anything. It felt warm. Turn into a ball, he thought. As if the flame was reading his thoughts, it turned into a small light purple flaming ball. The boy juggler the ball. He had to admit, it was fun having powers. But he hated himself for taking innocent lives. They did this to me, he thought calmly. Pretty soon, I have to do it again. He would have to deliver the souls to them. He felt so sorry for the people he killed. But that was his job. He wasn't evil or anything. But he had to do it. If he didn't, they would punish him. Turn into a bird, he commands the flaming ball object. Just like before, the ball turned into a small purple flaming bird. The bird chirped loudly. "Sh," the boy said quietly.
The bird flied around the boy. He smiled and laughed. He reached his hand out. The bird landed on his hand, Be gone, he thought. The bird chirped one last time and bursts into little light purple flames.
"Alright Mr. Simpson, you are ready to go," the postmaster said. Have a nice safe trip back to Nome."
"Thanks Mr. Grayson," the musher said. Alright mush!"
When they got back to Nome, Kodi found his parents waiting for him. "Hey son," Balto said. "Hey mom, hey dad," Kodi said nuzzling his parents.
"ATTATION EVERYONE!" A man yelled. THERE WILL BE A DOG RACE IN TWO DAYS! ALL SLED DOGS ARE WELCOME!"
"Hey dad you should be in the race," Kodi said.
"Me?" Balto asked. Nah, I'm getting to old. Besides you probably faster then me now, since you were running on the beach all summer."
"What?" Kodi examined. You still got in you, dad. And I know it."
"Thanks son, but I'm done," the half wolf/dog said.
"Well okay I be in the race for you dad," Kodi said.
The boy woke up from another nightmare. He sat up by the camp fire. He felt someone was behind him. He turned his head around and saw her. Can't she leave me alone for one day, he asked himself?
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
"I couldn't wait to see you again…Champion," the girl said.
"I'm not a Champion, I'm just a…lone shadow," he said.
"Oh don't be like that," the girl said sitting down next to him. You know there's a tournament in a few days. You should join up. Who knows you might win."
"I probably lose in the first round," the boy said.
"Aw, you don't know that," the girl said. Why are you always such in a grumpy mood?"
"Hmm, I don't know, like maybe, how you're Shadow Gods made me this way," he sapped.
"I think you're just lonely that's all," the girl said giving a peck on his cheek.
"Why do you always kiss me, huh?" he asked.
"Because I think you are SUPER cute," the girl said gigging.
"Well stop it, Ruby," he said.
"You are sometimes not fun," she said as she looked at the fire. Looks like the fire is almost gone."
"Well I get more wood then," he said.
The girl stands up and aims her right hand at the fire. There was a light purplish bolt from the palm of her hand. She blasted it at the fire.
Now the yellow color of the fire, was replace with a light purple color now. The boy looked at her.
"You're welcome," she said smiling as she disappears in the darkness.
What a bitch, he thought.
The race would start in a few minutes. Kodi saw all kinds of huskies. He saw some strong ones. He thought they would faster then him. He saw his three friends. He saw his parents looking at him.
Kodi got behind the line, as his friends spoke to him.
"You ready Kodi?" Kirby asked.
"More then ever," he said.
"ARE YOUR MARK! A man shouted with a gun. GET SET! GO! The man shot his gun in the air as the dogs ran off.
Kodi was off to a good start, but then a blonde husky was gaining on him. The dog passed Kodi. Two other dogs passed him. Now he was in fourth place.
Got to keep up, he told himself. He saw his parents cheering on him. This made Kodi run a bit faster. He was close to passed the dog in front of him. He closed his eyes and forced his legs to run faster.
"Hey!" he heard the dog shouted. Kodi guessed he had passed the third dog. He opens his eyes and looked. There were two dogs ahead of him.
The second dog stopped to catch his breath. Kodi now had to pass the lead dog ahead of him and he would win. But the dog was way ahead of him. Kodi could not see how he could keep up with the dog. The dogs turned to the left, witch there was the finished line.
It seemed all in slow monition, people cheering, screaming, and claps. Kodi saw a crowed of people. But that's not what he was looking at. Behind a crowed of people, he saw a shadow. Not just any shadow, it seems it was alive. Believe in yourself Kodi, he heard a voice in his head. He saw the shadow disappear, and everything was back to normal.
Everything was loud again. The race was still on. Kodi thought about what he heard a second ago. Believe in yourself Kodi. Believe in myself, Kodi thought.
Now Kodi was getting closer to the dog ahead of him. But the dog was close to the finished line. Just as the dog was about to pass the line, he fell on some ice. The dog rolled over. He was two inches away from passing the line!
Kodi saw his chance. He forced his legs to run faster. The dog that fell was getting up. Once he was standing, he saw Kodi pass him.
Everyone cheered. Kodi saw his parents running to him. "Kodi you won!" his mother said nuzzling him.
"I'm very proud of you son," Balto said.
"Thanks mom and dad," he said.
"Kodi," someone said behind him.
He turned around and saw his friends. "Nice job Kodi," Dusty said.
"Thanks guys," he said.
"Hey come on everyone, let's go to the beach," Balto said.
Six campers were talking and laughing in the Alaska night. The northern lights shined in the night sky. The campers told stories about what they did as mushers or told about they were in World War 1. The boy was hiding in the darkness. He looked at the six campers. He didn't want to do it. But he had no choice. He thought about the Game, that the six campers would going to play. It didn't matter, how people can play. Anyone could play the Game. He just hopes they can survive till dawn. But he knew only one can survive. But he hated when one of would win the Game, they could be unstopped able. He did not make the Game. He had been doing this for a long time. In his nightmares, the dead haunted him. The people that he killed haunted him. He stepped out the dark, and walked towards the campers. They looked at him.
"Can we help with something you, kid?" one of them asked.
"Are you lost?"
"Want to play a game?" the boy asked.
Bloody screams were in the forest. Blood was everywhere. One of the camper's throats was slashed. Another one was in pieces. Another one head was off. Another one was on fire. Now only two were alive, but one was wounded. A man was carrying his brother. He had his hand over his brother's shoulder. The brother's right ankle was broken.
"Come on, Allen, you going to be alright," his brother said.
"Jake-Jake-I have a flare gun-in my back pocket," Allen said falling down.
Jake found a flare gun in his brother's back pocket and shot it in the air. "It's okay Allen, someone should see it and rescue us," Jake said, getting his big brother up from the ground. They saw a creature of darkness coming out the trees. "There it is!" Allen yelled.
The creature looked like a living shadow. It was all shadow. Its eyes were a light purple color. It had a black bow in its hands. It had an arrow in its other hand. The dark shadow puts the arrow on the bow and pulled it and fired at Allen. The arrow hit Allen in the chest.
"No!" Jake screamed then turned to the shadow. You asshole!"
The shadow disappears. Allen was on the ground again. Jake sat him by a tree. "You alright Allen?" he asked. Allen was coughing up blood. "I'm not going to make bro," he said. His vision was going white. "I can see the light," he said.
"No, no, no, no don't go, Allen," Jake said.
"You're the brother, I always wanted," Allen said. And I'm proud of you. I was always proud of you. And I'm sorry; I wasn't a good brother when we were growing up. See you on the other side…little brother."
Allen vision was all white now. His eyes stay open. They didn't close. Jake was now crying. Anger was now filling his body. He pulled off his jacket and covered his dead brother.
"Alright you bastard, come on out!" Jake yelled. Up in a high tree branch, the boy saw Jake calling out to him. In his hands, he had Allen's soul. He putted it in a bag, where the others souls where. He could let him live, but that be breaking the rules. Yes, he also had to fallow the rules. He had to send shadow creatures after the players in the Game. Those were the rules. But the greatest challenge was surviving from him. He too could play the Game.
Jake heard something behind him, in the darkness. He fired the flare gun. The red flare went through the darkness. Once it landed on the ground, it showed the boy staring at Jake.
"YOU!" Jake screamed. You killed them. You killed my friends. My brother. Everyone I'd loved."
"I'm sorry, I never wanted this to happen, but I have no choice," the boy said.
"I don't understand, what kind this damn game is, but I don't want to play anymore," Jake said.
"You have to play or you will…die," the boy said his eyes glowing a light purple color.
Jake was now running through the dark forest. He shot another flare in the night sky. He hopes someone see it. He looked around the forest. Where is it, he asked himself? He knew there was a town here. The trees looked familiar.
It seemed like thousands of years of running through the forest. Jake could not escape this nightmare. He saw no hope. No hope of living anymore. "Alright you win," he said in the darkness. The boy came out in the darkness with a shadow warrior with him.
The boy sighed deeply and said "You know, I have to admit, you are the longest one surviving without killing yourself. Some people have survived the Game." He took out a watch out of his pocket. "You only had two more hours till dawn," he said. But now, since you choose to lose, I have to kill you or the shadow next to me can do it."
"Please just do it quickly, so I can see my brother in heaven," Jake said going on his keels and closed his eyes.
The boy nodded to the shadow warrior next to him. The shadow warrior brought out a sword and rose up high and brought down to Jake's head.
Kodi was in the boiler room with his friends. They were laughing, until they heard talking outside. The boiler door was half way open. They saw Mr. Simpson talking to a man. The man had a black beard, green eyes, and was wearing a dark gray coat.
"Just for a little while, till my dog is in good shape again," the man said.
"I don't know Mr. Jackson, Kodi is a good dog, and well I don't know-"
"Please Mr. Simpson, just let me have Kodi for a week or two," Mr. Jackson said. My dogs are good with new members on the team. I saw him, win that race yesterday. I will take great care of him, I promise. And if you let me, I will give you a huge sum of gold."
"Well okay, but just only for a week," Mr. Simpson said, going to the boiler room. The dogs back away from the door. Mr. Simpson opened the door all the way and walked in.
"Hey Kodi," Mr. Simpson said with a friendly smile. This man here needs you for dog sledding. Now you be good for Mr. Jackson."
Kodi looked at his friends. They had sad faces. "Good bye Kodi," Ralph said. "Stay safe," Dusty said. "And have fun," Kirby said.
"Thanks guys," Kodi said walking out the boiler room with Mr. Jackson.
By the time they reached a town. Mr. Jackson took Kodi to the musher's dogs. Kodi saw other dogs, when he and the human entered a room. Dogs were barking at each other, growing. The dogs stopped as they saw the new dog.
Mr. Jackson went out of the room. The dogs gather around Kodi.
"Looks like we got some fresh meat," one of them said.
"He doesn't looked strong,"
"Hey mutt, what's your name?"
"My name is Kodiak, Kodi for short," he said.
"Hey I know you, aren't you the son of Balto?" one of the dogs asked.
"Um…yes," Kodi said.
"Hah, I told you guys!" the dog said, who asked Kodi's, name.
"You think he has wolf blood in him?" a dog asked.
"Wolf blood?" Kodi asked confused. I'm not part wolf. My mother is a husky and my dad is-"
"Part wolf," one of the dogs said. I guess his dad never told his pups that they are part wolf."
Kodi could not believe what he was hearing. He was part wolf, and his parents never told him?
Just then they heard the door open. Some dogs backed away from the dog. The dog looked at Kodi. "Well I never thought I would see that mutt pups one day," the dog said. The dog was black and white.
Kodi was frozen in fear. "Steele,"
So that was the first chapter of the Shadow Game. I would like to thank MalevolentTorment for helping me with something. And guys I don't know if you know this, but Ruby is one my OC characters. And the boy with the dark powers is another OC character of mine. So if you have any questions PM me and I will answer them. And alright everyone Merry Christmas. Jwolf98 out.