Chapter 9- To the North

Shadow watched the empty air where the portal had been. “I hope she’s alright”. Crystal said quietly watching the spot as well. Shadow turned around and his jaw dropped in surprise. “Where are we”? He asked as he viewed the scenery. They appeared on a high hillside with ominous lake reflecting the nearby snowy mountain tops. The hill overlooked a green valley filled with nothing but clear pastures and dimming sunlight. Clouds hung high above the mountain in the distance. The scene was spectacular but none of them spoke until Crystal broke the silence. “The suns starting to set soon, we should at least set up near the lake for a water source”. James turned and nodded to her “Good thinking”. The group wondered down the hill side as the sunset greeted their arrival. Setting itself behind the mountains surrounding the lake. In the coming hours night fell peacefully over the land. James slept in the grass alone while Shadow and Crystal inspected the stone. “It’s unnaturally smooth, where would you find a relic like this”. Shadow shrugged stretching his shoulders back with a yawn. He pressed his pad against its side again and looked into Crystal’s eyes across the way. “This stone showed me things; it showed me an ancestor of mine I believe to still be alive”. Crystal stood up from behind the stone to stare curiously at him. “What do you mean”? “I mean I saw a vision after this thing erupted a red flash; it showed me someone who lived two-thousand years ago and may still be alive. I spoke with him”. Crystal seemed to grow more and more interested. “And what did he tell you”? Crystal asked. “He told me he was my uncle and has something called the elixir of life and the other piece of the stone”. Crystal looked down at their red stone quarter piece broken by Chanoue. “But how, who, when”.. Crystal was lost for words unable to get her thoughts clear. Shadow sighed. “I’m just as stumped as you are”. Before Crystal could reply, a strange sounded ignited nearby. Both Shadow and Crystal’s attention shot to the stone piece beside them. It was glowing bright red. Shadow watched it then slowly came closer pressing his ear to it. “There’s voices, I’ve heard them before”!

Crystal came close and listened to. “Yeah I hear them too”. Shadow turned and focused on the stone watching what looked like wolves attacking several tall identifiable figures. “Shadow look”. Crystal instructed tapping his shoulder. Shadow looked up in surprise and awe. They were now inside what looked like a run down cave. Inside was dull brown rock and loose dirt but what really caught his attention was a small squat wolf sitting along a wooden table right next to them. Shadow watched him as he had the stone in his paws, the complete and unbroken stone. He appeared to be studying it without even looking away. Shadow moved forward and the wolf did not notice him nor try to speak to him. “Excuse me”? Shadow asked out but the wolf just continued to study the stone intently. “I don’t think we can interact, it’s a memory I believe”. Crystal stated. The wolf muttered to himself quietly then rubbed the stone and turned back to the cave entry. “If he finds me with this, oh”.. The wolf seemed extremely nervous of something. As he turned back, another gruffly large wolf with brown and black fur stepped inside. “Donvu, you were supposed to be on post”. Shadow looked down at the wolf. It was a younger Donvu. “I’m sorry Travi, I was busy”. Travi gave a laugh and stomped his front paws on the table. “You call this busy, bah”. He swiped the stone off the table and onto the floor and it rolled across the room. “You must be more careful”! Donvu scurried after the stone. “You must realize at a time like these we need soldiers even you”. Travi growled. Donvu looked back sharply glaring. “Let me not remind us who it is that started this war with the humans and all for the wrong reasons”. Travi simply snorted. “My reasons are justifiable on every ounce. Our father would be proud”. Travi stood up and stormed out. Shadow looked to Crystal but the scene seemed to end before either could say another word. The night field was again in front of them and the crystal clear lake shined beautifully under the moonlight. The stone had stopped glowing leaving the two wolves to watch it silently. “That was a memory, wasn’t it”? Shadow asked quietly. Crystal watched the unmoving stone without speaking but instead nodded. She looked up again into Shadow’s eyes. “Who is that wolf, that Donvu guy”? Shadow looked up at her face. “That’s the wolf I was talking about, he’s the one I spoke to, but he was older when I spoke to him”. Crystal lay down in the grass. Shadow did the same and watched her. “I’m not sure what it all means”. She rolled to her side. “We will plan and travel tomorrow, get some rest Shadow”. She said closing her eyes. Shadow did the same letting the night air lull him to sleep.

 

 

Shadow found himself in the same terrible nightmare again. The two shades weren’t looking at Shadow now but instead had turned away and left. Shadow stood up to follow them but he felt himself catch on something. He looked down but nothing was there. He looked forward again and now he was again in the room where he originally met Donvu. There he was sitting at his desk again. “Donvu, I need answers, what’s going on”? Donvu put down a book that was in front of him in his paws. “What exactly do you need dear child”? Shadow shook his head. “I don’t know where to begin”. Donvu rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Who was Travi, what was he doing”? Donvu pulled off his glasses and sighed. “Travi was my brother at the time; he waged war with the humans who were native to the land”. Shadow started to wonder. His eyes had somehow opened though, again releasing him from a chance to discover what was going on. James was sitting next to Crystal on the lake side both watching over the morning lit water. “I thank you for helping my son”. Crystal smirked. “He was more of a help to me, he brought me here and gave me a second chance”. James chuckled to himself. “He’s a good kid”. Shadow sat back. “Shadow”! Crystal spurted out looking back at him. “So where do we go from here”? Shadow asked as she approached him. “Luna’s said we head north from here I can imagine to the mountain on the far side of the lake is where were going”. James looked off over the horizon. “That’s several miles away”. Shadow grabbed the stone up off the ground. “It’s the only lead we’ve got to go on”. Shadow began walking onward along the lake side.

 

 

 

 

Chanoue held the stone in his paw carefully examining it. They had set up near a river to rest while Chanoue investigated his new captured item. Kanoue lay in the dirt nearby watching from the corner of his eyes. “Such mysterious smooth material, but what more do you hide”. Chanoue muttered to himself curiously. A red flash burst in front of Chanoue. He had no time to react and was blinded by the light. He found himself in a stone cavern. He heard several voices all around him. Screaming and yelling but one stood out. It was repeating itself over and over. “You must slay your own blood to open the passage”. Chanoue didn’t know what this meant. He moved forward and collapsed on the stone floor. The voices grew painfully louder and even closer. “What do you mean”? Chanoue screamed out. “You must kill a living relative”. Chanoue seemed to understand now what it was the voice was telling him. “I see”. The voices stopped and slowly the chamber disappeared back into the icy tundra before him. Kanoue had been watching Chanoue the whole time and looked concerned. “Are you alright”? Kanoue asked. Chanoue gripped his head. “Kanoue”? “Yes”? Chanoue leaned backwards looking into the sky. “What do we need next”? Kanoue sat down and thought to himself. “There's a mysterious piece were missing but I can’t think of it”. Kanoue covered himself waiting for Chanoue to hit him angrily. “I see, well, don’t worry about it”. Kanoue lowered his arms in surprise. “Rest for now”. Kanoue lowered his head and slowly went back to sleep. Chanoue watched him for a moment and thought to himself. His claws extended up to his own face then he glanced back to Kanoue. It seemed so easy, he was right there; all he had to do was cut the throat. Chanoue stopped and lowered his paw. If he killed Kanoue now, who would give him other information? But who would substitute in Kanoue’s place?

 

 

 

The long hours along the lakeside didn’t seem to pass. The group hadn’t said anything to one another aside from general small talk. Shadow had decided they shouldn’t tell James about their discoveries with the stone. Again they stopped, this time near a small wood. James decided that he should go and hunt while they stayed put. With agreement, James ran off into the woods. Crystal shifted a glance to Shadow. “Let’s take another look at that stone. “Yeah, lets”. Shadow curled up on the ground with the stone followed by Crystal sitting next to him. “How do we start it up”? Crystal asked eyeing the stone shine. “I’m not entirely-” Shadow was cut off when the stone made a click. Shadow shielded his eyes just in time to avoid the flash. He opened them seeing the same cave from their last encounter. “I need to hurry”! A voice squealed nearby. Donvu in a much older form was scurrying about collecting up small things like a bag and a small book. “Faster”! Donvu yelled to himself. Crystal and Shadow exchanged glances but didn’t speak. Suddenly, the gruff Travi burst in. “What are you doing”? He asked in an annoyed tone. “Donvu! Where are you going”? Donvu had attempted to dash past Travi but failed as Travi had extended his arm and clipped Donvu on his pass. “Trying to leave? You traitor”! Donvu hurried to his feet and stood tall up to Travi. “You started this war, I wanted nothing of it; now let me go”. Travi kicked Donvu to the ground and growled. “You coward. You’re too afraid to keep fighting”. Donvu glared up at Travi. “I told you this war is not my own”. Travi growled as Donvu stumbled past him. “It’s our family’s destiny; this is what our ancestors would have wanted”. Donvu didn’t look back. “But it is not what I would have wanted”. He walked away still holding the stone in one of his paws. “Then go weakling, don’t ever return”. Another red flash flared in front of their eyes once again. The scene opened again and now sitting holding the stone was a tall and gaunt Donvu. He looked much older now and exhausted. They were inside another cave burrowed into the ground. “I’ll hide the other piece, the stone is too strong”. Donvu mumbled to himself. The stone was split in half. Donvu held both pieces in his paws looking over the two. Donvu turned around and sighed. “It’s been five years since that war ended, yet it still pains me”. The flash returned again, brighter than ever. Shadow had apparently been lying down. He stood up and looked over at Crystal, his head still woozy. “Donvu split the stone and he has his own piece”? Crystal asked scratching her head. “It seems so, that means he is alive, he told me from the stone that he still had the other half”. James came walking back now dragging the corpse of a deer. “I probably should have you come help me lug this buck back but oh well”. Shadow turned to Crystal who sat without looking at them. She was lost in deep thought, unable to shake the mystery.

 

 

 

 

After hours of travel, Shadow, Crystal and James had hiked their way into the mountains. The snow was light and soft unlike the usual snow storms Shadow and Crystal were use to. “Why would Luna send us this way”? Shadow said annoyed as the flakes poked along his eyes. “She didn’t say only to head north”. Shadow fell back into the snow. “That’s not helpful”. The stone slipped off his side and rolled over the small hillside. “No”! He yelled. Crystal turned around and noticed what happened. Shadow dove for the stone but nearly slipped over the hillside. Crystal grabbed Shadow’s legs as he watched the stone roll away over the hill side down into an opening in the rock. “We have to get that back”! Shadow said scurrying to his feet peering down at the spot he lost it. James walked silently up behind them. “Where did it go”? Shadow pointed down the hole in the rock. “We can fit through there”. Crystal said suddenly. James looked up at her. “Shadow and I can handle it”. She said reassuringly. James still looked nervous with his gaze shifting between the two and the hole below. Crystal slid down the hill and onto the rock. Shadow followed down with her. James watched and felt a terrible remembrance of his ordeal back at the rock cliff. Crystal shoved herself into the hole. She suddenly dropped down right through it. “Be careful Shadow”. James warned watching from above the snowy hill. Shadow nodded and slipped through the hole. He landed hard onto and ice covered floor right next to Crystal. Shadow looked around cautiously. It was a damp cave covered in huge crystal rock and ice. “The stone couldn’t have gotten far”. Crystal said as she sniffed the ground. Her voice echoed around the silent cave. The winds whispers greeted them like a ghost’s voice. Shadow eyes raked over the dark corners of the cave. The familiar red stone glared out of the dark. “There it is”. Shadow said slowly approaching. A pair of green eyes suddenly opened up right above the stone’s glow. Shadow stopped dead center. “What the-” The small green eyes shut and suddenly the red stone was pulled away into the darkness. A shuffling of feet could be heard from a distance. “Crystal, something is over there, and it has the stone”. Crystal had been watching the spot. “I saw, let’s follow it”. Shadow followed the sound of the distant feet clattering. The sound was followed by panting breaths of the running creature. “Stop”! Shadow cried out to the unseen animal but the only reply he received was more clamoring of feet and pants from afar. Crystal ran past him. It was nearly impossible to see but the limited sunlight cast through the cracks in the ceiling reflected off the ice floor. Shadow rounded a rocky corner and came face to face with the green eyed creature. It was a small white wolf. Wrapped tightly in his black paws was the Shadow Stone. “I’m not going to hurt you just give me the sto-” Shadow felt a sharp pain in his arm. The small white wolf bit him on the arm and began to run away. Crystal snagged his leg before he could escape. “Now now, it’s not nice to steal”. Crystal took the stone from the wolf’s paws. “That’s an ancient relic! Give it back”! The wolf squealed obviously annoyed. “Yeah well it’s ours”. Shadow said angrily still clutching his wounded arm. A sudden light erupted all around the cave. The darkness was pierced with burning torches hanging along the walls. “More intruders”? A voice spoke out loudly echoing. Shadow squinted and look over to see a tall silver grey wolf among dozens of other wolves all looking at him and Crystal. James was standing among them looking worried. “You must be with this grey we caught outside”. The tall wolf boomed. Shadow stared confused and speechless.