Chapter 7- A fork in the road

The cave was dark; the torches barely lit the dim hallways of stone and rock. The group, Shadow, Crystal, Luna, and James, all followed the path for hours. The stone rock was cold fitting the underground air flow. “I wonder how far down we are”. Crystal asked giving a sniff to the air. “About two miles”. Luna said humming a small tune. “I must ask where you get your knowledge Luna”. Shadow nudged his father. “Don’t, she won’t ever stop”. But Luna began speaking anyway despite Shadow’s interruption. “I’m a time cartographer; I map time and have connections with history and all the knowledge humans have managed to gather”. James growled. “Like trying to kill wolves and experiment on them”. Luna shook her head still gliding along. “Not at all, but I have been looking into the reasons for these labs”. Shadow looked up with curiosity. “And”? Luna waved about humming again. “Human’s have been presented with a vastly large rumor of your species. Apparently, wolves had some kind of contact with humanity years ago that presented their immense intelligence”. Crystal laughed. “Shadow’s an exception in this case”. “Very funny”. Shadow commented flicking Crystal on the nose. “You were saying”? Shadow asked looking back up. Luna tucked her head down to look at the two. “Unfortunately this rumor’s growing popularity and notification has resulted in humans taking drastic measures to figure this out”. James scowled annoyed with the statement. “I’ve never really thought humans as evil but some appear to have that trait”. “Not all wolves are good either”. Luna pointed out James nodded. “So if you map time, do know if this rumor is true”? Luna shook her head. “I was never opened to such an event and it remains a mystery”. Crystal looked down and then back up. “I wonder if Chanoue’s family might be behind it”. Luna nodded half heartedly. “It’s possible or it’s all just folk tales from old codgers and story tellers”. Shadow looked up at her. “That doesn’t explain the murder”. Luna nodded. “Well in fact wolves fight back in there cages as you can imagine and also humans study and test new poisons and other medical study on wolves. This is because they can’t use dogs and other animals, not anymore at least”. Crystal twitched her nose. “This cold air is stinging my nose”. Shadow looked up as he saw a light glow above his eyes. Upon looking up he noticed a torch that was on a wall splitting two paths in opposite directions. “A split in our path”. Luna commented. She perched on the ground and stumbled forward. “We best split up”. Shadow said heading for the right. “My father and I will take this path, come on dad”. Shadow motioned to his father. “If either one finds anything head back and wait for the other if their not already here”. James was rather amazed at his son’s plan. Luna nodded and took flight again. “Agreed, let us go Crystal”. Luna hovered down the tunnel in a gliding fashion. Shadow and Crystal both met eyes and turned away. The dimly lit tunnel flickered with light from the ever burning torches beckoning Shadow and James inward.

 

 

 Luna’s flapped up and down lightly. Crystal padded along slowly. “What else do you know about that stone”? Luna waved around a bit and shook her body. “The past is a deep hole waiting to be dug out”. Crystal looked up confused. “Some memories are buried deeper than others”. Crystal could feel something twinge in her and so she had to ask. “What’s a matter Luna? What happened”?  Luna backed into a wall and rubbed its dusty surface with her claw and began lazily glided along again. “It’s what happened to my parents. They were taken to a facility just like the one you where at”. Crystal looked away sadly. “I was born in London, human city. My brother was much older. We flew across the sea to this land. That’s when my brother left and we were captured by humans”. Luna’s eyes looked heavy. “They cut my arm and tested me with several needles. What they were doing I don’t know”. Crystal looked back up again and sure enough on Luna’s arm was a deep slice across it marked with a black scar. “My mother and father fought back and they both died freeing me”. Crystal could see the small tears roll from Luna’s eyes. “I was found near death by several wolves, worshipers of Mother Nature”. Crystal looked ahead again into the dark tunnel ahead and asked, “And what did they do”? “Saved me, gave me food, kept me alive and taught me to forgive humanity and to understand the confused nature of their species”. Crystal looked ahead again. “But what is their confused nature”? Luna dove down and stood on Crystal’s back resting her wings against her fur. “As I said not all humans are good and not all wolves are good, it takes one single individual to destroy everyone’s reputation”. Crystal snorted angrily. “Like Chanoue”. Luna nodded sadly. 

 

 

Shadow and James had stopped in the tunnel. Both sat tired and began to converse. “So Crystal’s parents are dead”? Shadow looked to the floor remembering Crystal’s father being murdered. “Her father is; I saw him being killed by Chanoue”. James looked away and spoke to himself. “Chanoue couldn’t have always evil”. Shadow turned his head. Shadow sniffed the air and scratched at his ear impatiently. “I suppose Chanoue was”. James shrugged. “Just my thought”. Shadow shook his head. “Chanoue roots himself as evil. He kills without mercy or feeling”. James didn’t respond but stared and listened but then spoke up almost transitioning the conversation. “So then what is Chanoue trying to accomplish”? “He wants to eradicate the human race, he sees them unfit to even exist”. A small tap of feet echoed nearby. “And it seems you’re unfit to live as well”. The horse voice of a wolf called out. Shadow and James turned to look standing themselves up. Two scrawny and gangly wolves with spiky hair were standing in place glaring at them. One was black while the other was a dark grey. “Who are you? What do you want”? James asked stepping forward. “We would ask the same thing, Chanoue will want these ones alive”. Shadow jumped a bit surprised. “Dad, their Chanoue’s lackeys”. The one dark grey wolf growled and hissed. The black one began to speak. “And you dare stand against him? Come Juva; let’s take these weak minded fools down”! The grey wolf snarled and jabbed itself forward. Shadow responded with a fast fighting stance. The wolf was too fast and a made quick leap for Shadow’s neck. James jumped in right on time and grabbed the wolf’s throat himself and threw him back into the other wolf. Both tumbled over. “What are you doing get him”! The black wolf yelled and he pulled himself out from under Juva. He too ran forward charging James. James bashed hard into him sending him back. “Lipe, he’s too strong, go for the younger one”! Lipe turned his attention to Shadow. “Yes of course”! The two ran at him baring their teeth. Shadow was rammed hard sending him onto his back while the two wolves attempted to shred him. Shadow pushed his paws up to shove them off. James grabbed Lipe’s leg and ripped him off. Lipe held his teeth into Shadow’s leg as he was dragged. Shadow howled and kicked Lipe’s head sending him into the wall. James ran up and jumped down onto Lipe’s body crushing him. He turned back to Shadow. Shadow struggled to push Juva away. As he did, his paws were bitten and scratched by the teeth heading for his neck. Juva’s sharp claws slashed a large cut across Shadow’s face; blood flew up at Shadow’s eyes. “Ach”! He screamed. Shadow could barely see the wolf but just enough to counter his next slash. Shadow moved his arm up, blocking Javu’s attack and allowing him to nail his own. Shadow lurched forward and sank his teeth into the wolf’s muzzle. Blood splashed down onto his face, blinding him even more. Javu howled angrily and attempted himself to bite back. Shadow waved his paw up and smacked Javu to the side allowing another bite. Shadow reached up again and bit hard into the wolf’s neck. Blood leaked out from the wound like a stabbed fruit and the Javu fell onto Shadow’s chest, dead.

 

 

Crystal stared into the dark room. The walls were adorned in small markings and drawings. Hovering about the ceiling was the curios Luna. “I’m amazed by the architecture, the work put into these walls, but for what purpose”? Crystal didn’t answer as she stared. “Luna, what are those pads on the floor”? Luna turned her head and looked downward at the floor ahead of them. On the stone rock floor were mysterious pads with markings of the sun and moon on them. Luna flew down to one for closer examination. She stepped lightly onto one and tapped her foot on it; nothing happened. “Pressure pads, I’m too light to activate them”. Crystal stepped forward and pressed down on the pad. Suddenly, a sharp rumbling erupted above their heads. Crystal looked up and was shocked to see the ceiling coming down on her. “Luna, move”! Crystal shouted and she immediately shot back off the pad. Luna flew down next to her. The ceiling stopped moving and held firm in place. “Another puzzle”? Crystal asked annoyed. Luna nodded slowly. “I can try to decipher the markings on the wall but I’m not sure if it will help”. Crystal looked over at the marking covered wall and shrugged. “Give it a shot”. Luna flew up to the wall and dug her claws to the stone. “Looks like we are in luck, there’s something written in Latin here”. Crystal saw the small words on the wall but could not read them herself. “Follow the path from day to night, then you will find your way”. Crystal cocked her head back and forth in thought. “Does that mean I have to follow the pads in a certain order”? Luna looked down and hummed. “Appears so”. Crystal diverted her attention to a stone block ahead. “That must be the way out”. Luna hovered her way back down. “But first we must solve this puzzle. I’ll fly above and point out the correct pads and you walk the path”. Crystal nodded. “Alright”. Luna pointed down to a small pad marked with the sun appearing over a hill side. “This one”? Crystal asked stepping forward and hovering over the pad. Luna nodded and flew down to her side. “The one in front then to the left and up three then to the right one; that is the cycle”. Crystal moved to the pattern, following symbols of day and nights cycle. The last pad was a full moon with bright white rock. “The full moon”. Crystal said softly to herself upon stepping on it. The ceiling above rumbled suddenly. Crystal looked up fast. The rumble cased several pebbles to collapse down on her head. She jumped of and looked ahead, the stone door lowered to the ground allowing them to pass.

 

 

Shadow stood up and Javu’s limp body slid off him. “I never knew you were such a fighter”. James commented panting. “Are you ok”? Shadow nodded but rubbed his paw across the cut on his face freshly placed by Javu. James walked over and sat next to Shadow. “Your hurt, let me look”. James held his paws against Shadow’s face. Shadow wanted to jerk away but felt for his fathers concerns. “It’s nothing, just a small cut”. James let go and sat back against the wall. “I hope we meet up with the others soon”. Shadow said solemnly. James looked over at his son. “I hope this journey of ours ends as soon as possible”. Shadow turned his head down looking back. “You never cared much for adventure or journeys did you”? James shook his head. “I had to try to lead our entire pack alone, all by myself on that journey”. Shadow cocked his head. “Why by yourself”? James leaned back again and groaned. “Arnoue just decided one night to put me in charge, and off he went on his own”. Shadow felt his heart drop a small bit. His father obviously didn’t know what happened to Arnoue. “Dad, Arnoue is dead”. James looked up sharply and leaned forward to stare over at Shadow. “What? How”? Shadow wasn’t quite sure but he knew Chanoue was going to kill him when they took him. “Chanoue took him and killed him”. James turned away and sighed. “I can’t believe what he’s become”. Shadow eyed his father. “What do you mean”? James shook his head. “Nothing, I’m just amazed how evil this wolf has become”. Shadow felt suspicious of his father. “We should keep moving and meet up with the others”. James stood up and walked down the tunnel then turned and looked back. “Coming”? Shadow stood up and walked forward behind his father.