Over the landscape he travelled suns and gained nothing. Here, there was no vegetation and no Lera. It was another world that he didn't belong in. Etan was starting to feel drained, the foreign matter soaked up his water. His saliva became sticky and he began to sink lower to the ground. At one point he collapsed completely and let his eyes droop. Now he was beginning to think whether it was a good idea to follow the scent of the meat or turn back when his brother asked to. He wondered where his brother was now, was he captured too? He lifted his lids carefully and before him, who in no way was there in the first place, was a birch tree in the middle of a desert. To the left of this vegetation was a pool of water. He wondered if this was a mirage which the old varg had spoken of. Quickly, he lifted himself up and bounded towards the water, he dipped his paw in to make sure it was real. He could feel the cool wet texture flow around, it existed. Lolling out his tongue he dived in and lapped up the water and made sure every inch of him was soaked. This cooled him completely and he was relieved to feel fresh. The varg rolled and splashed on his own, forgetting about the issues that lie in front of him. After time of happiness he was ready to move on and find home. He paused and beside the birch tree stood another wolf. Noticing the deep scar on his jaw and the masculine shape, it was clearly a Dragga. He seemed old in years and was grey with a hint of red around the eyes. The expression that held his eyes was hysteria and something like recognition. Etan growled and stepped out of the water. The other wolf, which was taller than him, raised his tail high in confidence as for Etan he flick the tip of his tail out, bet held it firmly low.

"Etan." Cried the large wolf. He flinched with surprise.

"How do you know who I am?"

"I know a lot about you." He bellowed, taking a step forward. Etan flattened his ears.

"My name is Phalin," he announced. "I've followed you for many years and it is time." They let their tails drop a little. The smaller varg crept closer, keeping his ears flat and acknowledging the larger wolf before him.

"Tell me more." He ordered, a ripple shaking through his body. Phalin sat down at this point and sighed.

"A passage has been written about you. It was written by the gods."

"Tor and Fenris!" he gasped, the large wolf nodded.

"It quotes;

'As a wolf as bold as the eagle is whelped with a pelt that bleeds,

Darkness is born and will be unleashed.

When the dust has tracked and the birch shines,

The Red One here and cannot decline.

When Wolfbane suffers with terror and dread,

He creates a scene and bonds with the dead.

Air surrounds him and found his ways,

Love and kinship shall be delayed.

The Underworld welcomes him home,

Popular and strung he roams.

The mind is fixed and connected again,

Truth alerted, earth bloodstained.

The Elements combine,

A set of true minds.

The Earth bleeds,

Water heeds.

Air exasperated,

Spirit stated.

Fire concludes,

His past excludes.

Inferno spat destroying the black,

Begin again where nothing lacks.

Etan frowned.

"That has nothing to do with me."

"It has everything to do with you!" Phalin growled. "You are the Red One."

"My coat is hardly red." He muttered.

"That is because you do not wield the fire aura yet."

"What?" His ears folded up. Again, the stranger sighed letting his aged lids fall. From Etans' point of view this varg was no match for him, clearly he did not want to be here explaining this stuff, but something else, something like pride rippled around him.

"Okay, I'm not good with this stuff, so I need to tell you the main things," they nodded. "Firstly, your name from now on is Inferno."

"-But."

"No, it is now Inferno. Etan has died. Secondly, you will wield the fire aura soon enough; when you find out where the Red Pool is. I have uh, made you immortal, yeah, you're now immortal. But don't go prancing around like you can't be killed, because you can still get hurt." The new Inferno gawked at him; surprisingly he felt the need to be close. Phalin then begun to tell Inferno how to succeed in his path; he spoke of the Elemental Wolves, the powers he seeks and the immortality he will receive. But Inferno was oblivious to this, he longed to be home to rejoin his brother and hunt together. But there was an odd feeling in his gut, freedom.

It wasn't hard to find the Red Pool, the heat of the desert created a mirage that Phalin inclined was indeed the Red Pool mirage or not. For this part he had to be left alone, none could view the event. Inferno waited for what seemed like a long time, he stared deep into the blood soaked sand and watched his reflection shimmer on the surface. But then it came, that feeling that urge. The uncontrollable throb that pounded his mind. The wind changed, encircling his body and narrowing through his pelt, the blood began to move towards him, towards his paws. Beneath them he began to feel hot, the incinerate pain surged upwards and circled his veins. The blood began to soak into his paw too, changing his blood system and giving him a new strength. He felt overwhelmed – an echo in his childhood – rippling through his body. Then it began to fade, that white hot sensation, leaving his body damp with sweat. Was it done? His leg twitched. Then his tail. Soon after light purple flecks of fire erupted from his pads, Inferno frowned, there was no singeing of the hair nor could he feel the heat. This must be the power, he thought. As the flames travelled upwards they turned to a pastel yellow-orange. It wasn't long until his while body was engulfed in flames. His shoulders ached; he dropped his head and howled in pain as he felt like he was being ripped open. The pain, thankfully, didn't last long. Inferno craned his neck to the side and gawked in scepticism as he saw, perched on his bag, a pair of huge feathered wings coloured deep red. He found the ability to use them was ease, moving them up and down caused dust particles the swirl around him. A gasp escaped his maw; he really could not believe it. Using his new wings he flew into the air, only a few metres high and felt overjoyed to feel what birds felt. Another incredible thing happened next, and possibly the last; the flames detonated further turning his eyes black. The luminosity consumed him thoroughly, reaching his core and causing an outburst. He was an inferno.

"Inferno... Hey son, wake up." His eyes fluttered open and found himself starting into the orbs of the elder wolf. Inferno made no attempt to move, he was stone.

"Can you move?" Phalin asked. Inferno kept his muzzle closed. "I guess not, that was quite a scene you made there."

"You saw?"

Phalin smirked. "It's not like I came around to watch you. You were in the air, Inferno, displaying what your name truly means."

"Wha," He chewed his lip. "What happened next?"

"Well, it lasted only a few seconds, maybe you have to build it up or something. You managed to burn that spruce tree..." They both glanced at the pyre. "The flames and your... your wings vanished then you sort of fell to the floor and fainted."

Inferno blinked. "And now your coat is pure red, check it out." At this he scrambled up and slowly made his way to the pool, he felt drained and sweat still soaked his body. He stared deep into the water, glaring at his new reflection. He looked very much older; his eyes were set a yellow-gold that seemed to change colour according to mood, his coat was indeed a luminous red that animated him hard and he was so brawny. He used his now large paw and tapped the surface, breaking the image. Then he took several swallows of refreshing water, after he fully walked in and cooled his body. He smiled sweetly to himself, but memories of his brother flooded back.

"I have to get home."

"You can't go back." Phalin growled.

"My brother is there. I want to see my brother."

"What?" The elder wolf paused, his maw hanging loose.

"I've never spent this amount of time away from him..."

"No wait, what? You have a brother?"

"Well yeah," Inferno sighed. "Why?" Phalin looked nervously away, closing his eyes for a second and inhaled deeply.

"No reason. I guess you have an excuse to go back," The red wolf gleamed at him. "But no one can find out."

"Why not? He's my brother, we share everything!"

"You're a different wolf now, Inferno. You have a different purpose."

"So I can go?" He smiled. Phalin nodded slowly, clearly not prepared to which him leave. Inferno carefully let his wings dissolve into place and it hovered a while, staring at the strangely familiar wolf, then flew off. Once he was out of sight Phalin began to whimper; what wolf could hold many secrets?

He balanced perfectly in the air, gliding to and fro. It felt almost natural, to be among the clouds, he inhaled through his nose and let the wind disperse his entire system. He didn't know exactly where he was going, but some gut instinct told him it was the right way. He soared over mountains, ducked through valleys and ventured past deserts. At last the green began to show and trees became clearer, he was almost home.

He landed with a light thump quite a distance away from camp and grieved to see that things had changed a lot. It seemed overgrown and wild. He looked around him, his wide gold orbs scanning the land. How long had it actually been? Would they recognise him? The air swirled around him, reminding him of the lake near by. He decided that first he would bathe and perhaps hunt before he made his way to the pack. The lake hadn't changed; it was still full with reeds and birds. He quenched himself momentarily then paused as a new scent caught his attention. He swivelled his head and stared as a roe buck was perched, dead, on the bank. Inferno waited to see if it belonged to anyone, then he made a move forward. He could already taste the blood on his tongue, sizzling in the summer heat. Sniffing at the corpse, he mage a lunge but was surprised when, in a blur, he was knocked to the side. There was a ferocious growl behind him. He frowned and glanced at the other wolf.

"That's mine." Snarled the wolf. Inferno glanced at the deer, then back at the wolf. Clearly, this was a female with a beautiful chalk-grey coat.

"Sorry, I just thought it was... abandoned." His scar itched.

"Hey, your coat," The femme narrowed her orbs. "It's so red!" Inferno nervously dipped his head.

"Yeah, I know. I think it comes from my fathers' side of the pack." He turned his head towards the forest. "I used to belong to this pack, before me and my brother were taken away. My father used to be Alpha." He sighed.

"You're Etan?" The she-wolf gawked.

"I've changed my name to Inferno. Besides, how do you know who I was?"

"I have joined this pack. It's amazing you're still alive! Welcome home. I'm Zsa." She smiled.

"How long have I been gone?"

"Two years."

He stared in disbelief.

They walked together towards the pack, both excited and nervous for the return. Zsa told Inferno of how she came to the pack in search for a friend, however she wouldn't tell him who. Inferno said nothing of his journey, apart from being captured by Man and travelling the desert. Phalin was never mentioned. They reached the boundaries and paused. Zsa lifted one paw and howled. There was a reply, familiar, and then a group of wolves scarpered forward. There was one that stood out from all of them, one that had stayed in his memories forever. This wolf had grown though; he was much stockier and had a white mane like their mother. This wolf was Kenyon. They recognised each other at once, leaping forward and exchanging scents and places noses against each others.

"Brother!" Kenyon cried, embracing him. "It has been so long, Etan."

"I know. But now my name is Inferno."

"Tell me brother; tell me of your journey."

The night was filled with gasped and snarls as they conversed about their stories. Inferno found out that Kenyon had too, been taken by Man but had been set on a different trial in the mountains, he was put on custody with four other wolves whom were named; Jarper, Havur, Pharo and Laija. However he managed to escape and found himself travelling home within four months. For the two years that had past Kenyon had been chosen to lead the pack until a stronger Dragga stepped forward. They were both pleased to see each other, but due to a promise, Inferno told him nothing of the truth.

It wasn't long until a routine was put in place. For his scar, Inferno took his place as Alpha and hunted with the pack the next day. He had eyes for Zsa, whom also gave him a look of passion but something always shook him away. At times he would catch his brother ogling at her, speaking to her and of course trying to court her. It was a natural thing for wolves, but Zsa would have none of it. She teased him the same as she teased Inferno, but she made no mating call. In truth, Inferno thought she was 'the one', her yellow orbs were bright with curiosity as she asked so many questions like; 'Why is your coat so red? Why do your eyes change colour often? Why are you so huge?' he could not answer to her, he produced lies, but she didn't buy any of it. Sometimes at night he would watch her standing alone, staring out into the lake or at the moon and hear her bitter cries. She seemed lonely, and Inferno wanted to fix that.

It was the fifth week of his return and he had bonded with the pack. After superbly taking down three reindeer they feasted upon the corpse. That night was filled with joy and they howled to the Wolf Trail. Soon after everyone was tired and fell asleep with ease, but Zsa had wandered off again and Inferno wanted to know what was up. For once in his life, he was going to do something that could change everything. He didn't wish to sneak up on her, but it seemed so easy. There she stood, her beautiful frame poised beside the bank. Her locks flowed in the night air and her scent hit him instantly, the aroma of a lotus flower, he remembered the name. Zsa tilted her head slightly as if someone called her name, and then she stared at Inferno. He stood absolutely still his orbs changing colour. She smiled at him but her gesture was more serious; turning her nose away, she wanted him to follow. However, as stupid as this was and the memory of his brothers lust, he traced her steps. He caught up with her stride and was drugged by her movement. They sway of her rump to delicately formed to stun the male species. Had she chosen him to court? It seemed almost obvious. He thought for a moment about his brother, this would be utter betrayal. She aroused him completely; the way her yellow eyes held mysterious secrets, the way her tail brushed against his flank and the way she curved her spine towards him. He was hypnotised though, when she parted her maw and whispered the word 'come'. He came of course.

"Zsa," she hit on him, placing her wet nose against his, it was a rough movement which made him burn. She groaned, letting go and turned her flank towards him – she lifted her tail, prepared. He was bewildered and he paused for another moment trying to make a decision. He had to think fast and with adrenaline circulating his body his answer was made. The young alpha mounted her – phallically defusing the soft grey fur. She moaned carefully, digging her claws into the ground. What happened next was phantasmagorical. A wave of power exceeded over him, he hadn't been told about this. The centre of his mind went white; it felt like he died, then he started hearing voices. Pictures begun to form and then it was clear; there was Zsa – sitting perfectly on a rock in the middle of Paradise. She was talking to herself but the words were unclear. The fragment of his mind moved forward.

"-knows it. He knows who he is but he shouldn't be here. Underworld... Samael, Underworld Inferno, the Red One..."

His mind blinked, he was reading her mind.

"Kenyon is here, watching us. Emotions coursing through him; anger, hate and jealousy. Inferno doesn't know. He doesn't know who I am."

He pulled away. "What the fuck was that?" He cried, dismounting and faced her.

"Sex?" She smiled. Inferno growled furiously, raising his hackles.

"I read your mind, what's going on?" he didn't let her answer; turning around he narrowed his optics and searched through the bushes. "Kenyon, are you there?" He frowned. There was a low snarl. Inferno sighed and lolled his head. "Come out." He whispered. Within seconds a brown and white bundle of fur pounced onto him, snarling and clawing at his twin. They fought; their jaws locked onto each other and growls rippling through their bodies, blood poured.

"Stop it!" Zsa cried. They stopped short and Inferno frowned at how persuasive she was.

"I don't get any of this," Kenyon sighed. "Explain to me again."

"Okay so basically, your brother has had a destiny since he was born; it was written by the Gods. Being captured by Man only helped him find his path. Inferno is a fire aura; that is why his name has been changed. I am the air aura and the Element Wolves do exist. Your brother has to go to the Underworld," she turned to the red wolf that was staring at the ground. "Though, I don't know how you're going to do that."

Inferno looked up. "I may have an idea." He said slowly. "When do I have to go?"

"As soon as possible really." They sighed.

"Okay," Inferno nodded and stood part from them. "Stand back guys, this could get hot. And Kenyon," he growled as tiny flecks of purple flames erupted from his paw. "I'm sorry." He was yet again engulfed in flames and he called to the Underworld. He vanished, and what was left were a pile of ashes.