Chapter 3 Homecoming

As the sun finally disappeared behind the crumbling mountain range Humphrey trudged through the burned fields taking in the changes to the landscape. Only a day or so ago it had been sunny and green. The trees and flowers swaying in the wind but now, now it was overcast and dreary. Everything had a grey look to it causing his hopelessness to amplify with every step.

A single tear slid down his face lost to the impregnable darkness that had fallen as he let out a long sad howl. He let it ring as he slowed to a stop and attempted to locate the direction of Jasper. But there was close to no light, the stars above him were faint and gave no hint to the tired wolf. Lowering his head in defeat Humphrey almost missed it. Another howl rang through the night in the distance sounding just as lonely as his own but much too quite for Humphrey to know if it was real or simply his imagination.

Humphrey's clung to the hope that it was indeed real as his ears instinctively perked up as his thoughts raced thinking, "Could that have been Kate?" As rational thought returned he slumped down realizing that the chances were near to nonexistent. The howl had indeed sounded feminine in nature but wasn't Kate's. Humphrey would have recognized her howl anywhere.

Humphrey pushed forwards toward where the sound seemed to originate from and ruefully thought, "Well maybe whoever it is can give me directions or at least help me find her." The instant Humphrey said that an image of Kate's dead body invaded his mind. He frantically pushed away all thoughts of her being dead and started to move faster. Trying to leave behind him the nightmare of the bomb and the creatures that it may have spawned in the aftermath he broke into a full run.

The charred earth began cracking beneath his paws as he made his way further away from the mineshaft and hopefully towards safety. The dim moon seemed to glare at him normally friendly and inviting tonight it radiated death and darkness. Humphrey was now on edge avoiding anything that resembled danger or appeared to move. With little to no warning he crashed through the burnt underbrush emerging into a dead end.

The sky far above him mocked his mistake as he attempted to climb up and out slipping down each time he tried. He fearfully looked back the way he had come but something told him that death awaited him if he turned back. Slamming his paws against the rocks he howled in anguish. He let it ring half expecting nothing in reply and Humphrey was surprised when the same howl much louder now but still distant answered his plea guiding him towards a section of wall the seemed more plausible to climb.

Humphrey grimaced seeing that the wall would kill him if he fell from even half its colossal height. Putting a paw on one of the stones he carefully pulled himself up one paw at a time slowly making progress up the cliff face. Becoming more confident and wanting to escape the darkness below him Humphrey exchanged caution for sped clambering upwards and sighing in relief as the ridge line slowly came closer every minute. Pausing to look down not realizing that the movement had most likely saved his life Humphrey spotted shadows darting below him.

Taking in a deep breath he realized whatever nightmares were below him had been trying to stalk and kill him. His instincts had been right, how he wasn't sure but ever since the blast his mind had warned him of danger and unconsciously keeping him alive. Shuddering at the near death experience he looked back up the cliff face and realized he could see something on top of the cliff. An outline of something waiting only a few meters above him. Humphrey realized that there was most likely another creature above him.

Yelping in surprise he pressed himself against the wall trapped between the two killer forces. Humphrey cursed his lack of attention and ruefully realized he was slipping further and further down the food chain. Deciding to take a peek at his attackers Humphrey leaned away from the wall and stared down at the monsters below him.

Gasping in shock he saw they were vaguely humanoid but walked on four legs. Their skin was inky black and almost looked like soup thrown carelessly over the deranged forms. Humphrey slowly let his gaze go upwards towards the head where no eyes could be seen, but the mouth would leave him nightmares. The monsters teeth gnashed the air scraping against each other wanting to feel warm blood in its bloodied maw.

Humphrey just stared at the monsters that waited below him, the didn't seem to see him but he knew that down was no longer an option nor did up seem safe. The monsters almost seemed to hear his thoughts and looked up at him reaching with decrepit jerky movements clawing at the air with their elongated arms. Tears sprang from his already red eyes as he desperately held on for dear life repeating a single line of thought. "This can't be happening to me, this can't be happening to me."

Humphrey closed his eyes blocking out visions of the monsters below and above him, he knew that the land would change and take time to heal but now… Now these new creatures seemed to kill without reason or remorse stealing any chance of living peacefully. Evolution had spawned a new master for earth but if these creatures had been created then surely more dangerous ones would also now exist.

Gathering his courage Humphrey opened one eye and watched the ridge line above him. He saw a something groping for his trembling form nearly grabbing him. Whimpering and pressing his face harder against the rock face Humphrey pulled as far away from the monster as he could. The creature above him continued to search nearly brushing his paw when Humphrey shied away and lost his grip.

Time seemed to slow as Humphrey fell away from the rock face. He turned falling in mid air straight down head first towards the open jaws and gnashing teeth below him. Humphrey's life flashed before his eyes but only one part of it stuck, he saw Kate smiling at him saying that everything would be alright. Suddenly his fall stopped, Humphrey felt something gripping his hind legs as he realized that the creature above him had gotten him first.

Tears began falling down his face he was dragged upwards screaming, "I'm sorry Kate!" Any second he expected to feel teeth digging into his flesh tearing and shredding his screaming form. He waited seconds still hanging a foot off the ledge unable to see the creature that had him in its killing grasp.

With a final heave he was pulled up the cliff and onto the burnt ground. Humphrey closed his eyes still expecting the teeth when he heard, "You're heavier than I expected." Humphrey's eyes shot open as he pulled himself up staring at the dark form that had apparently saved him.

He backed towards the cliffs edge and whimpered, "Please don't eat me." Laughing quietly she emerged into the moonlight and Humphrey shocked whispered, "Lilly?" Lilly nodded and said, "I'm glad to see you to Humphrey, but keep it down please; more of those things could be out there." Humphrey nodded still shocked and asked quickly, "Is Kate ok?"

Lilly bit her lip and murmured, "You'll need to come see for yourself." Panic gripped Humphrey's mind as he stuttered, "W-what happened, will she be ok?" Lilly looked down and said, "I'm not sure, but the blast almost killed all of us." Lilly looked back up at Humphrey and began to recall the events that had occurred, "The marriage was thankfully a disaster and Garth never married Kate."

Confused Humphrey pondered why Lilly agreed with him in that the marriage was a horrendously bad idea but he let her continue, "Kate admitted she loved an omega which I'm guessing was you because after that Tony declared war on the Western pack and then the fighting began. Kate ran to your den to try and find you escaping the blood bath and I chased after her causing Garth to follow me, then it happened. A massive explosion hit us after we found Kate inside. She was crying horribly probably thinking she made you run away."

Shamefaced Humphrey looked away from Lilly and said, "I never should have doubted her." Lilly put a paw on my shoulder and told me, "She loved you very much Humphrey and I bet that when she wakes up she'll be happy to see you again." He nodded as Lilly finished her story, "After the explosion we were caved in your den trapped until Garth dug us out, I went to try and find you for Kate and now here we are living this nightmare."

Humphrey nodded and asked, "So what exactly happened to Kate?" Lilly sighed and answered truthfully, "I don't know, when Garth and I arrived she was crying in your den and then simply stopped moving like she was in a coma." Humphrey winced at hearing this and grimly said, "Take me to her."

Lilly gave an understanding nod and said, "Jasper's not too far, you might have found it without me but I doubt you would have escaped those things." Humphrey looked down at the creatures that were attempting to climb up after him and gave a disgusted shake of the head trotting after Lilly's retreating form, towards his old home; Towards Jasper.

Humphrey and Lilly had walked for hours upon hours, the landscape never changed. Always broken rocks and scarred earth. There were bones to, some caribou and some Humphrey didn't want to identify. As they began to approach Jasper the sun was already above the valley illuminating a horrible scene. The land looked scarred and blackened much like everywhere else but Humphrey hadn't been expecting it to have happened to his home. Not one plant or tree remained alive and the worst was the bodies. Bones and skulls of the wolves that had been vaporized sat in the dirt slowly decaying.

Humphrey involuntarily shivered as Lilly sadly said, "This should never have happened, we never asked for this." Humphrey nodded as his heart crawled into his throat as he thought, "Some of these bones used to belong to my friends…" Pushing away the sadness he turned his attention back towards getting to Kate as he choked up asking, "C-can we please m-move on." Lilly answered by walking back towards Humphrey's old den weaving around the blackened and charred bones some of which looked chewed on by the monsters that had attempted to take Humphreys life only hours prior.

Humphrey and Lilly after skirting around the worst of the valley clambered over some rocks and arrived at the den. Much to Humphrey's surprise he found Garth sitting outside staring at the grey sky, but instead of a snide remark about his looks or condition Garth only turned and observed him warily and asked, "Are you alright?" Taken back by the question Humphrey suspiciously answered, "I've been better."

Garth satisfied with the answer motioned towards the den and said, "She's inside, but…" Ignoring the rest of his sentence Humphrey crawled through some of the rubble that had been partially blocking the entrance to his den. Humphrey made it past the last of the rubble standing upright in a daze that he had returned alive to this place. He froze as he spotted Kate and stared at her unmoving body for what seemed like an eternity.

In a trance walked towards her whispering, "It's all my fault." As he arrived at her body he propped her up against his side laying down with her crying and repeating, "It's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault…"

Kate didn't stir causing him to weep uncontrollably and let out a long sad howl. Releasing all the pent up emotions that had been within him for the past few days, anger, fear, sadness, remorse. All of them were released as he howled for her, howled for the fear that if he stopped all would be lost.

Finally his voice gave out; he choked out one last sad note and looked down at Kate. She was still unmoving eyes closed and even now she was beautiful. He stroked her golden mane tears dripping onto her pelt overwhelmed by his inability to save her.

Humphrey exhausted by his grief fell and didn't move, staring at her when his mind unexpectedly blacked out the emotions overloading his system. His invading dreams were black and void of anything but darkness. He saw the bomb again, it fell down to the earth shattering it, breaking apart the continents leaving only debris in the darkness. There was always the darkness, only the darkness.

Humphrey continued to dream when he saw a tiny pinprick of light in his mind's eye appear, dissolving the darkness slowly, but eventually the darkness fled. The earth slowly reassembled itself and Humphrey's dream self zoomed in on Jasper. He saw life as it was before, peaceful and carefree. The omegas were playing in the fields while the alphas sat on watch, every few minutes casting glances at the omegas wishing they could play as well.

Humphrey felt himself smile despite the grief that was in his heart lost to the scene when he spotted Kate. His heart leapt as he watched her. She was in her parents den quietly sitting on the floor staring at the wall. A memory of this event sparked as Humphrey watched it unfold. He turned and saw a pup that was identical to him but smaller run up the dirt ramp chased by his friends, Salty, Shakey and Mooch attempting to keep pace. But the pup skidded to a stop dodging into the head alphas den to hide as his young friends rushed past.

Humphrey watched in anticipation as he saw his younger self laugh and turn to face the pack leaders daughter. He continued to watch as his younger self fell over and said to Kate, "S-sorry, I didn't know anyone was in here."

Kate sighed as she smiled saying, "That's alright, I don't mind some company." Humphrey watched as his younger self nodded and playfully ask her, "Do you want to play to?" Kate shook her head and sadly reply, "I can't, alphas aren't allowed to play."

His younger self raised an eyebrow and said, "Oh come on, you want to I can tell." Kate bit her lip and murmured, "I do but I need to prepare for alpha school in a few months." Confused his past self shook his head and asked, "You're going to spend your entire puppy hood in this cave waiting for training?" Kate seemed to realize this for the first time and said, "Oh, I…"

His younger self simply laughed and tagged her yelling, "Your it, come on!" Kate startled jumped up tackling him before he could even leave the cave. The two wolves tumbled out of the den and found themselves tangled in each other's arms. Humphrey laughed watching his past unfold happy that he could see this moment again. As Kate rolled away Humphrey attempted to stand only to fall on her again touching his nose to hers accidentally.

In a daze Humphrey watched the scene and felt his emotions well up inside of him as the two wolves embarrassed pulled away from the kiss. Humphrey remembered that day and the kiss, it had been the best moment of his life even if it was only accidental. As the scene ended Humphrey was dragged from the dream back into reality as he opened his eyes once again touching noses with Kate.

He whimpered and said, "I'm so sorry that it had to end this way, but I love you." without warning, Kate's eyes opened locking onto his. Kate stared at him clearly shocked to see him as tears began falling from her eyes as she asked, "Did I ever tell you how much I love you?"

Chapter overview I think that went rather well and I hope you guys do as well. If you have time please review it always makes my day to see one or two more posted and they help me out a great deal by inspiring me to do better and push my skill to its limit (Although I believe it caps out around amateur XD)

TO FROST AND FRIENDS I hope your getting your account working bro and you and your friends are still enjoying the story :)