A/N: I don't want to sound like I'm begging/nagging anyone, but Please Review! I think I'm going to continue this story, but I feel like not many people are enjoying it. Please let me know if you like it or not, what I can do to make it better, etc. ! Thank you so much.
The trees of the Vonce` Forest loomed over the Desert's sand. I could barely place one foot in front of the other. My vision blurred at times, causing me to stumble, and my throat was parched like grass that had been burned in a fire. But yet I continued onwards until I reached a nice winter breeze coming from the Forest.
I had never seen a forest like the Vonce`, but, then again, I had never been out of the Valaan Forest. Moss covered the Forest's ground. Large Perrybill Pines stretched hundreds of feet into the air. Streaming, wavy locks of moss from birds building their nests hung from the Pines. Needles were scattered amongst the springy, olive drab colored land.
The moss felt like silk on my paws. All I need now is to find water. I picked up into a trot, my worn-out body refusing, but my throat encouraged my legs to go on until I could find some Adam's ale.
I traveled past countless numbers of Perrybill Pines until I came upon a small clearing with large stalks of sugar cane surrounding the liquid substance that would save my life. I bounded forward and immediately began lapping up the water. I didn't even take a glance at it; I could care less if I drank grimy, repulsive water or if I drank pure, limpid water. As long as it was some sort of water, I didn't have a care in the world.
The water splashed like waves from an ocean through my throat and mouth. It burned, but it felt good. I couldn't stop drinking. I had been dehydrated for too long.
After a good, solid six minutes of drinking, I lifted my head up and looked around. Bright colored birds soared around, far above, towards the Pine's largest branches. I had never seen these types of birds before. I heard a rustling in the cane to my right. I wheeled around, my heart pounding, muscles tense, ready to fight. I moved forwards toward the strange bird. Its saffron colored head clashed with its denim tinted underbelly and its forest green back. It spread its wings and flew away, the lavender tips of its wings fluttering like the butterflies in the Holemoner Grasslands. I watched, amazed.
Then I started onwards, towards the North. The Vonce` Forest was extraordinary, but after a while, it became less of a distraction and more of an annoyance. I felt like I passed the same Pine four times when I realized that I had turned myself around and was heading South. Then I had to double back.
I hadn't even realized I was hungry until I heard my stomach's growl above the bird's high pitched chirping. There were no animals besides the practically minute birds, and I didn't have the patience to kill ten or more of them. So, I continued with a clouded head and a rumbling stomach.
My body froze. A Wolf was sleeping just a couple of feet away. His grey-tinted back rose up and down as he breathed. The scent of Fleabane crossed my nose. Oh Lupus, it's Phantom! I ran up to him and softly nudged him with my snout. His eyes flashed open, his pupils dilated. He sighed as he realized that it was just me.
"Okay, this is sort of awkward," I admitted in a whisper, almost hoping he wouldn't hear. Phantom smiled.
"Just a little," he said, almost jokingly. "I'm Phantom, but I have a feeling you already figured that out. Just like I know you're Silverflash." I paused, and then very slowly nodded, my eyes a little wide. I had guessed he knew my name, but it was weird to hear a Wolf I didn't even know say my name.
"We have to get out of here, Phantom. Snowfear and the others are coming to get me back. I don't know what they'll do—" I said frantically, fear apparent in my voice.
"They can find us, if they want," Phantom said. I tilted my head, confused. "I can take them."
"No, Phantom. Honestly, you can't. Snowfear was in the war ten years ago when he was one and a half. He might even be stronger than the Eastern Woodland Pack's leader, Timber," I said urgently. "We have to go." Phantom tensed. I could tell he was angry that I thought he was weak.
"I can take them. And I will take them on if they threaten us in any way. Whether it's Snowfear or the Eastern Woodland Pack, or even Bane," Phantom said roughly. I felt my heart become warm like a summer evening. Phantom wasn't going to let anybody hurt me or let the Alzaar Pack take me back. Even though we had almost just met, there was already an unbreakable bond between us. Phantom stretched his neck towards me and nuzzled me softly before abruptly turning around and trotting towards the North. I padded on, right behind him.
Phantom and I continued at a consistent pace through the Vonce` Forest. Then we came upon a large, looming volcano. "What is this?" I asked, my eyes wide as I stared at the large volcano, towering just above its neighbor, the Bindodo Mountain Range. My voice sounded like canon fire, for there were no birds around the monstrous cone. Its large, steep sides were covered with moss and small stubs of grass peaking between the rocks.
"It's dormant," Phantom answered, his eyes filled with awe, "and it's not just any volcano. Silver, we're staring at the Anilon Volcano."
"The— the largest volcano?" Phantom nodded his head slowly as he watched, never taking his eyes off of the colossal mountain.
"We'd best get going," Phantom said after a few minutes. I looked at him and we proceeded in the direction of the Heplit Plains.
I gnawed at the branches of the thorny bush. They snapped, and Phantom and I stepped into the Heplit Plains. The sharp stubs of grass stabbed our feet. The Plains had a greyish appearance. Winter was harsher up here than in the Valaan Forest. "We have to find some food," I told Phantom. He sighed, nodding his head. I could see his ribs just barely poking through his winter coat. I looked back at mine. I wasn't surprised to see that mine seemed to appear the same.
"I can sense water up ahead. There we should be able to find some Common Delingo's," Phantom replied. I wrinkled my muzzle. Delingo's were extremely hard to kill because of their option of flight rather than fight, and their meat was usually tough and grizzled, although some females were good…. My stomach growled. I snarled and dashed forward towards the water. Phantom laughed and raced up to my left side. We jerked to a stop as we saw the water, and the Delingo's. How did he know that Delingo's would for sure be here? I shook my head and crept silently through some small stocks of cane towards the Delingo. Phantom went around the other side of the pond.
The lead Delingo's colors flashed in the air as he took off. Most of the females followed in hot pursuit, but the one nearest to me looked around, dumb struck. It was like she hadn't seen the threat that he had seen. Her bright peach colored head zipped in one direction and then the next. Her salmon pink chest beat rapidly as she looked hurriedly around for predators. I hid a snort of disbelief as the Delingo dipped her docile maize colored beak into the water. I tightened my muscles and then leapt into the air, splashing into the shallow pond. The Delingo cawed and glided across the pond's rippled surface as Phantom sprang from his hiding spot and bit down on the Delingo's neck. He landed, the Delingo chirped furiously until he snapped its neck. I bounded forwards as Phantom hauled it up on shore.
I bounded through the water towards the sandy ground. I ripped into the bird, my fangs tearing open its stomach. The Delingo's meat was tough but it tasted better than any carcass. Its warm blood trickled down my throat. I gnawed on the Delingo's leg bone as Phantom finished eating. My stomach was still hungry, but I could finally walk without prancing all jittery-like from 'starvation'. Phantom and I would need to eat later, but 6 pounds each wasn't bad for now. I licked my chops as Phantom got up and shook himself, trying to rid his muzzle and coat of the Delingo's pink-tinged blood. He signaled me to follow with an exaggerated tilt of his head. I got up and stretched. Phantom sighed and looked at me.
"Can we get going by this year?" He joked. I nodded my head with a smile as I trotted up to his side.
"Not my fault you're a slow eater," I retorted with a grin. Phantom shook his cranium, a gleam in his eyes. I raced forward, barking back to him to challenge him to a competition. Phantom flicked his ears and then bolted after me, his white fur billowing in the wind. His tongue hung out of his mouth as he ran, his eyes squinted as the wind forced them shut. I laughed to him as he galloped past me. I chased after him, my own tongue lolling out of my mouth, the air like daggers shooting at my optics. I caught up to him, my front paws landing as his rear paws took off. Phantom glanced back at me as we ran. His tail brushed my face, its grey fur flowing like velvet through the air. I nipped at his tail gently. Phantom yelped dramatically and practically leaped into the air, landing off balance towards the right. Soon he regained stride and we ran together, side by side, through the prickly grass of the Heplit Plains.
Phantom and I slowed to a walk as we neared an uncharted lake with a stream leading out of it towards the Blino Forest to the Northwest. Hunger again consumed my stomach. The water was refreshing, but it didn't at all fill my gut.
"We can follow the river," Phantom suggested.
"But the Bayont Pack lives up that way. Sure we were allies—but that was well over eight years ago, during the war, Phantom. Then again, there is food," I grunted, looking longingly towards the Blino Forest and its dark, mysterious Hunter Pines that ascended almost into the clouds. "Fine," I woofed with a sigh, "you get your way. Let's go."