Chapter 2
Captured

Things change. Feelings change. Faith changes. Up in the blackness of night, the moon was changing her face with each day. Time flew by, and soon, the sun was shining intensely on the forest, long melting the snows and marking the coming of summer. The pack was overjoyed with the change of weather, as now game was abundant, and they could hunt all they wanted. Tara was still distraught with the death of Javier, and her hatred for Saberio grew more with each sun. It had been almost half a year since Javier's murder, and Tara had burried her mate by the rushing river on the edge of the packlands. Everyday, the silver fae would rest by his grave and howl to him. Dezui and Kafeanu would often join her, and the family would mourn together. The pups were now the size of large dogs, and had almost reached their full adult size. Dezui had grown into a beautiful slender fae, her features soft and kind, and she had a strong thoughtful muzzle like her mother. Kafe had become a mighty mascu, and his features were more that of his father. The masses of muscle rippling under his pelt showed his immense strength. Saberio kept a sharp eye on both of his sister's offspring, and even though neither had displayed any sign of iniquity, he was determined to prove Tara wrong, and show them to her for what he knew they really were.

Kafeanu and Dezui would often wander off on their own, exploring the forest and getting away from the pack for a while. On their many excursions, the siblings would often visit a place they had found on one of their first treks. It was a large clearing, and at the edge of it was a sparking stream. A dead tree had fallen across it, providing a bridge and a makeshift bench. Dez and Kafe would sit on the log for hours, gazing into the water and contemplating life's questions.
"What do you think it would have been like," Dezui asked one day, glancing at her brother, "if he hadn't been killed?"
"It's hard to say, Dez," Kafe growled thoughtfully, ruffling his wings. "I bet he and mother would have gone off and started their own pack, instead of living under the rule of our uncle. I swear...if anyone around here is evil, it's him. Bloody murderer..." Dezui gave a snarl of agreement, and nodded as her gaze shifted to the clear sky above them.
"I know...he truly is the demon. But what I don't understand is why we continue to stay in his territory. Mother hates him as much as we do, and yet, she isn't doing anything about it." The anger faded from the purple fae's voice, and a soft sigh escaped her lips. "I'm really getting worried about her, Kafe; I heard her talking to herself again the other sun." Kafeanu shook his head sadly, letting his tassal hang limply off the log. For as long as they could remember, Tara had been muttering things to herself when she was alone in the den. They would often eavesdrop on her, though most of the time they couldn't make out what she was saying. She would talk as if she was having a conversation with another Lupe, or she might be reminding herself of things she needed to do the next day. No matter what it was, they had always detected a certain craziness in her voice that spooked them.
"I'm worried about her too, Dez," he replied gravely. "But for now, there is nothing we can do except be there for her and offer her our support."
"You're right," his sister nodded. "We're all she has left." The two sat in silence, listening to the soft rippling of the stream below them.
"One day," Kafeanu growled after a while, "I will kill Saberio and avenge father's death. Then, I will take his place as leader of the pack."
"A fine plan, I'm sure," Dezui chuckled lightly, "for he deserves to pay for what he did. In fact...I almost wonder why I didn't think of that myself."
"C'mon," Kafe snorted. "We were both thinking it. I just said it first." Dezui was about to reply, but a sharp squawk interrupted her as she opened her mouth. Her auds tipped back as she watched a brightly colored Pteri swoop in from above them and landed by the stream. Getting a closer look at it, Dez saw that its feathers were a mixture of red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet, and they swirled together in a beautiful rainbow pattern. Kafeanu followed her gaze, and a mischievous smirk spread across his maw.
"Hey Dez," his optics shone as the Pteri began to peck at the ground, "feel like a bit of hunting?"
"I don't know," Dezui growled thoughtfully as she watched the Pteri. "Do you really want to harm it? It looks so innocent."
"So do Cybunny and Chia," Kafe reminded her gently.
"Yeah, you're right," Dez laughed, "let's just eat it!" The beautiful fae was the first to spring off the log, and she lunged at the Pteri with all the furiousity of the hunter. Her claws scraped the ground as the small Neopet took flight, greatly startled and frightened by her sudden appearance. Dez took after it back into the forest, chasing it as fast as her paws could take her. Kafeanu chuckled as he watched them, and he vaulted off the log to join in the chase.

The only thing that Dezui was aware of as she bounded through the trees after her prey was the pounding of her heart and the frantic pumping of her limbs. Her sapphire optics were fixed on the Pteri, watching for the opportune moment to spring at it. Much to her frustration, the Pteri flew too high above her to reach, even with her most powerful leap. So, she hoped, and waited for it to lower into her range. Just behind her, Kafeanu knew what his sister was thinking, for it was running through his mind as well. But, unlike Dezui, he wasn't willing to wait for it to come down.
"If you want something done," he whispered to no one in particular, "you have to do it yourself." Spreading his massive wings, the crimson mascu took to the sky, soaring after the Pteri. Dez grinned as she saw her brother, who was quickly gaining on it, and she slowed her pace gradually to a trot. Her tongue rolled out of her mouth in an exhausted pant, and she closed her eyes wearily as she listened to the raging battle above her. She had been persuing the Pteri for almost two miles nonstop, and now that Kafe had the situation handled, Dezui didn't see why she shouldn't sneak in a quick rest. She let her mind drift around the forest, taking in all the noises and scents that came to her. Her thoughts then shifted to her mother and the pack, and her auds tipped back uneasily. Maybe...she thought, maybe I should help Kafe with his quest...It would be an honor to assist with the defeat of Saberio...But what if-?
"DEZUI!" a frantic voice brought Dez suddenly out of her thoughts, and as she opened her eyes, she recognized it to be her brother's. It was then that she saw what he was yelling about. The Pteri was zooming at her full speed, and it was glancing behind it at Kafeanu, so it had no clue where it was going. Hearing his call, the small bird turned it's attention in front of it...just as it flew face first into Dezui as she desperately tried to get out of it's way. The force of the tremendous impact sent the purple lupess stumbling backwards, slightly dazed, and it took her a minute to come back to her senses. Her gaze shifted to the Pteri, who was waddling around at her paws blindly. It was badly stunned, and Dezui couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. She was about to pick up the Pteri in her jaws, when she noticed a shadow growing on the ground around her. She immediately knew what it was, and her body stiffened in terror, her hackles rising. Kafe was flying towards her as he saw the thing falling towards his sister, and he gave a pained cry as he watched the cage land with a thud, trapping both Dezui and the Pteri inside.

To Be Continued...