CHAPTER 10

Into the Darkness Core

The sound of the owls and crickets announced the arrival of the night. The light of the rising, red full moon of Alaska drew the figure of five canines while they were walking through a path surronded by pines, there was about two miles to go to reach their destination, the Howl Mountain, this peak, fulfilled of caves, was the home of a wolf pack, it had a neighbor mountain just a few miles ahead. This one was, according to legends, the place were rests a dark spirit that haunted the forests, if it comes back, it will be the place where the Apocalypse will start.

But then, their march was interrupted for an essence that was floating in the air:
''I don't want to say this, but it smells like Raima'' Said Akiak, the hunter wolf recruited by Aleu, the alpha, to make that travel.

''If it's Raima indeed, it makes sense, she's going to ...'' The alpha's words were interrupted as a yellow glow appeared on her eyes, she saw something, like when she and her father escaped a bear attack. Or when she saw caribous going through an ice-bridge to reach land.

But now, she saw a white and black husky, with a raccoon-ish dark mask on his face. Threatened by a menacing shadow on an enormous cavern. He looked scared and defenseless.

''It's Dinae...He was captured by someone, and by someone I mean Windigo. Akicha, Tristan! Hurry up to Howl Mountain and find my brother. Akiak and Taku, go with them, get some help, then head to the other hill and try to find Dinae! I'll fight Raima!'' Ordered Balto's daughter when the vision and the glow disappeared.

''Why you want to fight her Aleu, you can't defeat her, it's not your destiny!'' Said Akicha, worried.
''I know, but I can retard her advance, we will have more time to find and rescue Dinae and to retard the comeback''

Everything stood in silence, until Aleu yelled:
''What are you waiting for? Go and do it!''

The four wolves ran to their destinations, meanwhile Aleu looked for Raima, she followed her smell, until she caught her next to a fallen tree beside a pond, the dark she-wolf just hunted a hare and was feasting on it. Aleu tried to hide on the bushes to ambush her, but Raima's ears pricked up and detected her presence, the Spirit's server with a fast move sent her to the air, flying three feets away. Aleu left a deep mark on the dirt where she landed.

''What are you doing here? Don't you think that you are away from home, village dog?'' Asked the Spirit's server
''I'm here to stop you Raima, you and your master are causing all this, and you'll pay, I swear it for every starving wolf in Alaska that is suffering for your fault'' Replied Aleu, defiantly, she got up on her four legs and put herself on guard.
''Don't swear in vain, daddy's girl!'' Raima said with a mocking voice ''My Master will come back, and the ones like you will be reducted to ashes!''
''I want to see you trying it!'' Said the Alpha, grinning her teeth and trying to attack Raima, but she raised her paw and kicked Aleu in the muzzle, sending her to the ground again.
''We aren't trying it, half-breed, we are doing it already! Just wait a few minutes, his return will be done in any moment''
''No, you need to extract Dinae's soul to do so'' Answered Aleu, remembering the words of Aniu from last night's dream.
''How do you know that?'' Asked Raima, with a mixture of fury and surprise on her words.
''We, the half-breeds, know some 'tricks' to get information'' Replied the alpha.

Raima tried to attack her but Aleu dodged and she failed. Aleu slapped her face twice, and in the second time she cuted her between her yellow eyes.

The Server was so furious and answered with a powerful kick to Aleu's face. She was dizzy due to the great impact, probably one of the biggest she had to endure on her life. Raima took advantage of it and kicked her again on the ribs, then tackled her on the other side of the body, and smacked her head again, twice as hard as before.

But Aleu stood on her foot, courageous, defiantly, challenging, fueled by her noble and brave heart that was beating to its limits, her blue eyes had a strange shine in the moonlight, like if they were reflecting the storm on her insides, Raima will not win that easy.

''I'll stop you and Windigo, you will not hurt that innocent dog and he will stay on his world, even if I need to die...''

Aleu launched herself to the black she-wolf and bited her left front leg, Raima yelled in pain, Aleu then knocked her forehead, a lot of dirt and little rocks was lifted from the floor as her face smashed it. Aleu took a couple of steps back, and waited for her rival's response.

She don't waited too much, as Raima counter-attacked and sent the alpha right to the fallen tree, Aleu hited the wood with her back and went straight to the water pond. Wooden pieces from the tree landed on the surface of the water.

Splash!
After recovering her breath and leaving the pond. She shook her body to get dry and attack again, but her enemy was far away from there.

''No! She... she is gone! I need to find her. There's no time to waste. I need to find her right now!'' But when Aleu started to run on the direction of the Wind Mountain, her strength suddenly vanished and she collapsed to the ground, she moved her blurry sight to see the Mountain, a tear rolled from her yellow and blue eyes, and they slowly closed.

In Nome...

Balto headed to the old, abandoned cabin where Muk and Luk told that bloodhound, with great intelligence, that was the place where he lived. He considered that there was no time to find his allies, so he decided to fight that ''bad dog'' alone. Balto realized immediately that it wasn't an average dog. He found the front door smashed, and when he looked through the great hole, a white and brown blur sent him violently to the interior. Balto, with great agility landed on his four paws.

''Where are you?'' Asked the hybrid.
From a corner of the main room, came a dark undefinite figure, Balto can't saw his markings due to the weak light of the house.
''Show your face, whoever you are''
The dog approached the destroyed door, where one of the first moonrays entered in the cabin, Balto now knew how the dog looked, his wrinkled face, his long ears beside his head, he was about his size, but a little fatter tan him.
''My name is Boulder'' Revealed the hound ''We met the other night, do you remember? you and your daughter escaped us''
''What do you want here?'' Asked Balto, firmly and angry.
''I'm here to tell you something Balto, it's war, the war is coming, dogs versus wolves, and I need you on our side, I'm making you an offer that you better not decline''

''You're lying. Wolves and dogs coexist in peace now, and forever will'' Replied the wolfdog
''I don't think so, the wolves are awaking the legendary Windigo, it will attack all their enemies and we are first on their blacklists, we need to fight to prevent them destroying us!''
''Better go home and I will not hurt you, and forgot your little stories and your war games, don't bother us, and specially, the ones who don't have nothing to do with you, like my sons!''

The vet said that their wounds were not caused by wolves, they were made by a smaller canine, possibly a bloodhound.

Balto attacked Boulder, he knew that he came with a hunter, Charles Salt, to catch the wolves that suppossedly invaded Nome, the wolves left the town by peace, but they stood in town and attacked Balto's sons. Salt believed that they were true wolves.

Balto charged, but just like that night when he rescued Saba. The hound defended himself, he was a ruthless, merciless fighter, trained since his puphood only to kill.

''Your sons will not be the only ones, Balto!'' Yelled Boulder were trying to kick the wolfdog again, Balto dodged and the bloodhound hitted the wooden wall of the cabin, sparks flew as his claws ripped it.
''I will catch everyone in your family if you don't join me, and if I don't eliminate them, the wolves will in the war!'' Balto kept avoiding the hound's powerful attacks, with a slap he destroyed a dusty old chair.
''Everyone in your family!'' The dog shouted with an insane voice ''And you will go first!''
''Are you sure doggie?'' A voice was heard coming from the front door remains, the Dog Patrol of Nome was there!

They attacked Boulder, so Balto can make a pause, and then said ''Kaltag, how you find me?''
''Boris literally flew to tell me, he said that you can confront him alone, he said that he will kill you for sure, and I've called the guys''
''Oh, Mr. Possitive again!'' Balto giggled
''Be prepared to send this scumbag home'' Ordered the golden chinook, they fought and controlled Boulder easily. After they knocked him out. The patrol brought him to an old kennel. A sort of canine prison in Nome, where they locked him for being found guilt for attacking and injuring two civilian dogs inside the Town limits.

''You don't know what are you doing! The war is coming mutts! The wolves will eat you in soup!'' Cried the bloodhound.
''For Heaven's sake, please get calm, you Armaggedon prophet!'' Said Kaltag
''I'm no prophet, I was told about the war by a malamute back home in my dreams, and I can swear that he was saying the truth'' Replied Boulder
''In your dreams? Yeah, seems legit dude!'' Mocked another dog
'You'll remember me when the wolves come, you'll remember my words and my warnings! And please, don't come asking for help, with me here, the army I was making to defend the dogs has been left without their leader''
''Are you saying that there are more crazies like you? Gosh! we gonna be very busy!'' Answered the chinook.
''I'm not crazy!'' Replied Boulder
''And you want to prove it by hurting two defenseless dogs? You better shut up!''

Meanwhile, Balto went to tell the good news to his recovering sons at the Mine.

''Dingo? Saba?'' He said after entering their shelter.
''Hi Dad'' Answered Dingo.
''How are you?'' Waived Saba.
''I have good news for you, guys, we captured your attacker!'' Said Balto, happily.
''Really? And who was him?'' Asked his daughter.
''He's that crazy bloodhound that came with the hunter, the same that I've fought that night when you were out, Saba''
''Did he injured you?'' Inquired the female sled-dog
''Not today, but that day he did, but i'm not worried for it, it don't hurts now'' Then continued ''And how are you?''
''We are feeling better, dad, probably in less than a week we'll be back in bussiness!'' Replied Dingo

''And with that dog on the pound, you'll feel better than ever''
''I hope, dad'' Said Saba

Balto said goodbye his sons and headed to Jenna's house to tell her too, but when he was in the way, he felt pain on his paw, it came from the injury Boulder made him some nights ago when they fought at the forest.
''It's OK, it's just the cold, that's it'' Said the wolfdog. Concerned for it.
But when he saw Jenna in the front of her house, the feeling suddenly reappeared much more stronger. Balto can't stood on his fours and fell to the ground.
''Balto, what's wrong?'' Cried Jen, very worried.

''It's my leg, that hound... injured me...it hurts...very...much!'' Replied the hybrid with the pain reflecting on his tone of voice.

Jenna helped him to reach the inside of her residence ''I'm gonna get the veterinary'' She thought

Meanwhile in the Mine Shelter...

''I'm sure that dad was saying the truth'' Said Dingo to his sister
''Yes, he always tries to protect us, he is...the best father we could had, Dingo'' Replied Saba
''Surely!...who else will risk his life just for...just for'' Dingo's answer was interrupted by a heavy pain that came from his apparently, almost cured wounds.
''Dingo, are you allri...'' Saba asked when she felt the same sensation.
''What's happening?'' Yelped Dingo.

In a dark, gloomy cavern away from there, a white and black husky, a tricked, captive, and alone husky, was scared about the happenings, he will be the cause of a bloody war between two brother animal creatures, and he don't even knew the reason, he was captured by a strange creature, and his host was just a grievous voice that echoed on the cave's walls.

All of a sudden, some rocks rolled from the top of the deep hole where he was detained, and he heard whispers at his back

''Who's there?'' asked Dinae.
The whispers were heard again.
''Who's there?'' Cried the husky

''AAAHHH!''
He heard a loud yell at her back and tried to rain in fear, but the wall of the hole stopped him as he crashed his face trough it. He looked at what caused the yell, and he saw two of those dark wolfish creatures laughing and mocking at him, they vanished in a couple of seconds.

He reached his sight to the top of the den as he heard a sound of something being dragged, the sound stopped and a loud hit was heard at the other hole next to him. Like if something was thrown to it.

''What... what am I doing here... where...where am I? Where am I? Help! Help me please'' He listened a familiar voice crying from it, it was Dara's voice!

Dinae was about to call her, but then the dreadful voice said:
''Yell and cry all you want, you'll never leave here!''
''Help! Where am I?'' Dara yelled again with desperation
''You're about to make a big favor to your world'' Answered the voice. The heavy, frightened sound of Dara's breath was the only answer to it.
''Leo, please tell her, before he gets to my nerves''

A black and white malamute appeared in the top of Dara's hole
''Leo! What are you doing here? What is this place?'' Cried the female dog again.
''We are about to clean all the garbage of the Earth, and we need you to do so'' The malamute answered
''You... you brought me here? W..why?'' Dara said loudly as before.
''Master needs you''
''Who is him? He was that voice?''
''Oh yes, he's the next ruler of the world, and me, as his favorite server, will be the second-in-command. And i'll answer your next question now, before I listen to your annoying cries'' Said the malamute and started a narration.

''The wolves has been hunted, prosecuted, and killed, our master is making an army of his servers and followers, to avenge the fallen wolves and to kill every dog in Alaska, that will be just the beginning of his Revenge Wars, But he needed someone who knew the Alaska dogs perfectly, and picked me. I'm helping the Master. To clean the Earth of scum, specially the hybrids, unfortunately he needs some food for the road, and we are hunting some souls to feed him, the guy at your left side will be the main course''

''And who is him?''

Dinae listened the question, and he replied it; ''It's me Dara. Dinae'' He said with a soft voice

Before Dara could answer, Dinae tried to quiet her
''Don't say anything more, Dara, please'' He whispered
''Well, be prepared you two, don't think that your souls will be eaten by the Windigo, better think that you are making a favor to the world, as he said before'' Leo retired from there, humming a song mockingly.

Then, Dara started to cry, thinking on her fate. Dinae tried to comfort her.
''Dara'' He whispered
''Please, don't say anything, you... you...'' Dara cannot even finish her sentence as she cried louder.
''Please Dara, forgive me please, i'm... i'm sorry, and I still love you''
''You... made me something awful, I've thought, that you were different, that you were a dream turned into a reality, but you left me alone, a herd of reindeers trampled me, then Leo brought me... .''

Dara made a pause.
''Leo... i think that you were right about him, he's just... a bastard... he knocked me out and brought me here, i'm about to turn into food of...something...because of him''
''Well, a sled team told me that they were sacked of the Great Race because of him... and Kodi was excluded from the Mail Team because of his fault too, i'd better gave you more information of what he did''
''He... he deserved whatever you were going to did him, right?'' The female replied, and she continued; ''Compete in The Great Race, it's the most important thing that a sled dog can do''
''Really?'' Answered the male husky, softly.
''Yes, my father did it, and he won, he and my master, and Leo too, he was the winner of this year''
''Ugh...athletes'' Said Dinae, causing them both giggle. He felt more confidence to tell Dara how he was feeling after that senseless, dim-witted argument back in White Mountain.

''Dara, please forgive me. I was an idiot, i don't wanted to leave you, I've felt bad when we don't even left the town, and I wanted to immediately return and apologize, you're...'' Dinae sighed, and kept talking ''You're a dream turned into reality for me too, you're way the best thing that ever happened to me, and if we are about to die here, I want to die, knowing that I have your pardon, living dream''

Dara was impressed by those words ''You have it Dinae''
''Thanks, Dara''

Before he could say more, they heard loud, crazy laughs, and a voice said ''It's time for you, little pretty thing'' Said an eerie voice to Dara ''You're the Master's entree''
''NO!'' Cried Dinae, and tried to climb the den's walls. But he slided and couldn't do it, Dara was took out of her prison, and that creatures laughed insanely again.
''Dinae!... I love you'' She yelled.
Dinae don't answered, he kept trying to climb out of his prison to, but his tries were on vain. He just left himself being dragged by gravity, and he leaned in the ground, he wanted to cry...

But then, he remembered that those beings entered his hole to mock on him, he looked for the place they used to enter, until he searched in the shadows behind him, the back part of the den was composed by rocks and of the cavern's wall, the front part was made of slippery sand.

On that rocks behind him, he saw a tiny hole.

He examined it, it was indeed very small, possibly made to let those thin creatures pass, but not an average canine, but Dinae don't ate well very often in the last days, nor in the last month, when his master in White Mountain almost don't had the enough cash to even feed himself. That was the main reason why he sold Dinae to the Post Office of Nome.

Dinae tried to pass through that portal. He tried hard, really hard, and when he realized, the middle of his body was on the other side! He just took off his back legs and his tail to completely pass. He found himself on another small place, a claustrophobic tunnel where he nearly entered without collapsing it, he spotted a light on the edge, and moved like a mole to reach it. When he took his head out, he saw part of the horrifying vision he had earlier.

Many wolves, at least twenty, where being trained and ordered by some of the wolfish beings, he tried to don't be spotted by one of them. And looked for another tunnel, there was more than one. They led to different galleries and rooms of the cave, he passed over one where some wolves and creatures were examinating drawings of those dog breeds he saw on the vision, on the floor was a dog skeleton, the wolves were talking about their weaknesses and how to attack and destroy them.

On other room he saw other five wolves and a creature, they were looking at a map of Alaska, trying to find the first place to attack the dogs. He saw many maps, including one of the whole world, he shivered.

Then, when he was traveling through another tunnel he fell trough an aberture, straight to the rock floor. Fortunately, it was not a really great height and he stood up.

When he walked through a long rock corridor, he saw paintings, many red and black paintings, possibly made by the former inhabitants of the place, he saw caribous, birds, bears, canines, humans and even an orca on it, he saw paintings of strange, big, hairy creatures with figures like 'C's on their faces. He kept walking and saw two mountains painted in another wall, from one of those mountains rised the scary figure of an enourmous, bear-like creature, and some humans were painted escaping from it, and then, he saw a thing that will cause him nightmares for the rest of his days.

The more graphic figure of that cave, the bear like creature, he could spot the differences between a bear and it, it had had pointy ears, big eyes and an enormous mouth with sharp tooths, he thought that it can't be made by an ancient human, and the terror don't ended there. The cavern started to shake, and he heard the incomprensible echo of a voice, probably was that 'Spirit', his instinct told Dinae that it had discovered him, and he ran, out of instinct, until he found a way to lowest chamber.

He walked down to a downstairs-like formation of rocks, that led to another large chamber, and he saw his objective, Dara! Being retained by three of the dark, madly laughing creatures.

He was about to fight them and rescue her, until the Spirit's voice was heard.
''Do you have her, guys?''
Dinae realized that the voice came from the very bottom of the chamber ''Yes Master, her soul is yours''
''Great! I'm extracting the soul of the Aniu's descendants that our dear hunter, Boulder, and Raima too, had wounded...''
The creatures yelled in celebration
''...Now, this beautiful girl will give me even more power, and when Raima arrives, she will destroy the Succesor, his soul will be mine, and i'll back in mortal's world!''

A black fog appeared in the chamber, it wrapped Dara, her body was paralyzed, only shivering. Dinae again prepared himself to defend her, but a wolf walked on the chamber and said

''Master, we are being attacked''
''What?'' The spirit yelled
''There are at least ten wolves and a husky, they are looking for Aniu's succesor''
''Where's Raima?''
''She had not arrived yet''
''And the Succesor?''
''Sir, he...vanished''
''WHAT?'' The Windigo shouted furiously
''He's not on his ceiling, he escaped'' Answered the worried wolf

The entire cavern shook again, the black fog retired from Dara and enveloped the messenger wolf, his body shivered and then paralyzed, a clear blue glow left it by the mouth and went into the bottom of the chamber, the wolf collapsed, dead.

''Left her on the back ceilings section and try to find the Succesor! The fighters will take care of the invaders!''
''Understood!'' Said the creatures, leaving with Dara. Dinae left the place, terrorized and confused, the Spirit was talking about him, but; what was a Succesor? and Who was Aniu?

'Til next chapter!

-dnom96