by Sophie Torro
Aurora struggled to rise to her paws. “What is it?” she asked her friends. “Why are you two staring at me like that?”
Nautilus looked flustered. “Well, it’s not that big of a deal, really,” he stammered. “Stuff like this happens to wolves all the time… kind of. So you don’t have much of a reason to panic. You’ll be just fine—”
“You have a disgusting cut on your snout,” Ember interrupted matter-of-factly. “It’s going to leave a scar. A really, really bad scar. It’ll be permanent.”
Aurora stared at her friends for a long moment. This must be the result of Sandstorm’s final blow, she realized with a shudder. The blow that knocked me out and finished the fight. Was it really that bad? She slowly lifted a paw to feel her muzzle, then halted, hesitating. Aurora lowered her paw.
“I’d rather not talk about it,” Aurora huffed. “Or feel it. Or think about it. Or see it. Stuff like this really grosses me out. Gore? Yeah, no thank you.”
Nautilus and Ember exchanged an uncomfortable, awkward look.
Aurora shifted her paws, wincing as pain bolted up her legs. She flopped to the ground with a sigh. “This is a disaster,” Aurora groaned. “Everything went wrong. I was so sure I had gotten through to Sandstorm, but then she punched me! What in Elementa was that for?” Aurora went very still for a long moment, then looked around.
They were in the middle of the battlefield, inside the arena. It was dark, empty, and silent. Only the silver light of the moon filled the darkness. Aurora frowned. “Hey, guys?” she asked Ember and Nautilus. “Where did Sandstorm go?”
“We don’t know,” Ember responded. “But I think… I think she might have saved your life.” At Aurora’s disbelieving stare, Ember added, “I was watching Sandstorm’s movements during the fight. It looked like she was holding back as much as she could. Once she realized who you were, Aurora, I think she tried to harm you as little as possible.”
Aurora let out a bitter laugh. As if, she thought.
Ember flicked his tail. “From what I heard and saw from the crowd, I think fights in this arena are to the very end,” he continued grimly. “Sandstorm knocked you out on purpose. If she hadn’t, you wouldn’t be alive right now, Aurora. I know it’s hard to believe, but Sandstorm did you a favour.”
Aurora stared straight ahead without speaking. Pain surged through her snout, a bitter reminder of Sandstorm’s brutality… and of her mercy. “Enough about me,” Aurora told Ember and Nautilus. “I have some questions for the two of you, starting with Nautilus. How did you find us after being separated?”
Nautilus gave his mud-streaked pelt a shake. “That’s easy,” he replied, trying hard to avoid looking at Aurora’s wounded muzzle. Disgust filled his eyes. “I was shoved into the arena by the crowd of Earth Wolves, and was forced to watch the fight. Aurora, once you were chosen as Sandstorm’s opponent, it was easy for me to find you and Ember. Especially after the crowd moved on.”
Aurora nodded, then turned to look at Ember. He steadily met her gaze, already knowing what she was about to say. “I don’t have an elemental power,” Ember muttered, much to Nautilus’ shock. “That’s just how it is with me, ever since I was born. There’s nothing to talk about, so you can stop gawking now.”
Nautilus hesitated for a moment. “Born without an elemental power?” he eventually asked in a small voice. “How is that even possible? I thought all wolves were born with some type of power. It’s just how wolves are in Elementa.”
Ember let out a dangerous snarl and took an ominous step closer to Nautilus. “Easy for you to say,” Ember hissed in a voice barely louder than a whisper. “You were born with three elemental powers. I was born with none. Some wolves are luckier than others, and destiny treats them kinder.” Ember’s orange eyes filled with rage. “Although some wolves don’t deserve their gifts, Nautilus. Not at all.”
Aurora felt terrified at the hostility in Ember’s voice. The resentment in his eyes frightened her, and for a moment she was worried he would attack Nautilus.
Nautilus cowered underneath Ember’s glare. “I’m… I’m sorry,” he choked out. “I had no idea you were so angry. If I had known, I would have kept my abilities to myself.”
Ember closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. “No, I’m sorry for my outburst,” he responded in a massive effort to collect himself. “My lack of powers is the fault of no wolf.” Ember clenched his jaw, his body shaking furiously. “Let’s… just stop talking about it.”
An awkward silence hung in the air for a painfully long moment.
“So,” Aurora cautiously began, “if what you say is true, then Sandstorm spared me on purpose. Does that mean she wants to help us defeat Queen Tempest?”
Ember opened his mouth to speak, then stopped. His ears angled toward the far side of the arena, listening. A sound had caught his attention. Aurora and Nautilus both went silent, listening as well. It sounded like pawsteps. Someone was coming.
“You should hide,” Nautilus whispered to Aurora. “Some wolves might want to finish what Sandstorm started.”
“Oh, they don’t care about you anymore,” came Sandstorm’s rough voice. The brutish Earth Wolf stepped out of the shadows and into the moonlight. “As far as they’re concerned, you’re as good as dead.” Sandstorm smirked at Aurora. “Sorry about that scar of yours, but I must say, it’s a good look for you.” She barked out a laugh.
Aurora dragged herself to her paws, struggling to stand. “Enough jokes, Sandstorm,” she spat. “Are you with us, or are you not? We don’t have forever.”
Sandstorm was silent for a long moment, making Aurora wait desperately for her answer. She was enjoying the uncomfortable silence she had created. Then, Sandstorm grinned. “I’ll help the three of you out,” she rumbled. “For a price.”
CHAPTER 14
A long silence met Sandstorm’s words. Ember glared at the Earth Wolf with a calculating gaze, while Nautilus nervously shifted his paws. What in Elementa did Sandstorm want from them?
“What price?” asked Aurora, her fur bristling.
Sandstorm prowled closer, her yellow eyes shining eerily in the moonlight. “Oh, it’s nothing much, really,” she sneered. “No need to get your tail in a knot. My request is a simple one.”
Sandstorm loomed over the three wolves now. Her broad shoulders and muscular frame made the others look weak and scrawny.
Ember let out an irritated sniff. “Spit it out, then,” he grumbled.
Sandstorm smirked. “If I agree to help you, then I want all the glory of defeating Queen Tempest,” she told them. “I want to be the hero of this story. I want all the fame and riches and praise. You three will merely be a footnote in this legend. Understand?”
Silence filled the arena. What an odd request. Aurora exchanged a look with Nautilus and Ember. There didn’t seem to be any harm with what Sandstorm wanted. After all, Aurora didn’t care about fame, and Ember and Nautilus preferred to live a quiet, simpler life. At her questioning gaze, Ember gave Aurora a decisive nod, while Nautilus shrugged.
Aurora turned her head to meet Sandstorm’s penetrating stare. “All right,” she agreed. “You have our word that you will be the hero of this story. Ember, Nautilus and I don’t even need to exist in this legend, if that’s what it takes for you to help us.”
Sandstorm looked pleased. “Great,” she huffed. “I’ll be your little brute, then. What exactly do you want me to do? How much pain does Queen Tempest have it in for?” Sandstorm lifted a paw and summoned a storm of tiny pebbles. She crunched the small rocks with such force that they turned to dust in her paw, sprinkling to the ground.
Aurora shook her head. “We shouldn’t hurt Queen Tempest,” she said slowly.
Sandstorm rolled her eyes and let out a groan. “Arrgh! You’re one of those tree-hugging peacekeepers, aren’t you?” she snorted. “Well, listen here, Wings. If Queen Tempest has a superweapon like you say she does, then I’m going to do whatever it takes to stop
her, even if you don’t like my methods. Got that?”
Aurora’s ears flattened. Perhaps it was a mistake to join ranks with Sandstorm. Could the two wolves possibly see eye-to-eye? “I don’t think hurting her will—”
Ember took an interrupting step forward. “We understand, Sandstorm,” he said with a sharp look at Aurora. “Thank you for agreeing to help us with this. Elementa owes you more than its gratitude.”
Sandstorm smirked greedily. “You bet it does,” she replied snappily. “Elementa owes me a hefty payment!” Sandstorm barked out a rough laugh. “Oh, and just one more thing,” the Earth Wolf told them. “You and I are not friends, a team, companions, partners, or anything of the sort. I don’t care about the three of you. I won’t be sticking my neck out to make sure you survive our ambush on Queen Tempest. If you die, it won’t be any skin off my back.”
Nautilus looked queasy. “We aren’t going to die, right?” he whimpered. “Because nobody said anything about dying on this mission. Is it, uh, too late for me to back out of this?”
Ember gave him a glare, while Aurora gently rested her paw on his shoulder. “Don’t worry, Nautilus,” she told him encouragingly. “We’ll be okay. I promise.”
Despite her calm exterior, Aurora couldn’t help but share her friend’s worry. Now that Sandstorm had agreed to help them, their mission to defeat Queen Tempest suddenly seemed real. Terrifyingly real.
With a shudder, Aurora remembered how Queen Tempest had easily annihilated an entire avalanche, when Blizzard and her were pups. It had only taken the queen a wave of her paw to summon a ferocious storm. Now that Queen Tempest’s frightening power was amplified with the White Elemental Heart crown, did the four wolves really stand a chance? Was Elementa already doomed?
Aurora gave her pelt a shake. “So what’s the plan, then?” she asked.
Sandstorm flicked her spiky tail. “This is your dumb idea,” she snapped. “You tell us, goody-four-paws. Come on. We’re waiting.” Sandstorm’s yellow eyes burned into Aurora’s fur. Ember and Nautilus remained silent. They gazed at Aurora curiously.
Aurora drew in a deep breath. Sandstorm was right, although she hated to admit it. This plan was Aurora’s. Because she was involving the other wolves, she needed to act like a leader. Ember, Nautilus, and Sandstorm were looking to her for guidance. She couldn’t let them down.
“There isn’t much to it, really,” Aurora told them. “The goal is to sneak into Queen Tempest’s castle, steal her crown, and try to make it out alive.” Aurora smiled wryly. “No need to overcomplicate things, right?”
To Aurora’s shock, Sandstorm nodded her agreement. “Right,” the Earth Wolf replied. “Sounds good to me. The simpler, the better.” Sandstorm cracked her neck and flexed her claws, as if warming up for a fight.
Ember’s orange eyes widened. “But what about the finer details?” he protested.
Sandstorm shot him a glare. “Zip it, Hothead,” she barked. “Big plans always end in failure. The more complicated they are, the more likely something will go wrong. We’ll worry about those ‘finer details’ when they matter. Yes? Yes. Great.”
Sandstorm abruptly turned around. Without waiting for the others, she began to walk to the arena’s exit. Sandstorm didn’t look back once.
Aurora watched her go with a frown. She was so used to having a functional team with Ember and Nautilus, that the introduction of Sandstorm’s stubbornness to the group was jarring.
“Come on,” Aurora told Ember and Nautilus. “Let’s catch up to her before she forgets we exist.” Aurora limped forward, wincing at the wounds Sandstorm had inflicted.
Ember’s face filled with concern. “Will you be okay to walk?” he asked her in a gentle voice. “The journey to the Sky Pack is long.” His eyes brightened. “Why don’t you fly, and meet us by the mountains? That way you don’t have to trudge through the desert again.”
Aurora hesitated, then cautiously intertwined her tail with his. Ember’s eyes widened, then filled with warmth. “Thanks, Ember,” Aurora responded politely. “It’s a good idea, but I can’t leave you or Nautilus.” Her green eyes shimmered teasingly. “Especially not with Sandstorm. She’ll probably claw you guys for fun.”
Nautilus nervously fidgeted with the webs on his paws. “I hope not,” he groaned miserably. “Sandstorm scares me.”
“Hurry up, you lumps of fur!” Sandstorm suddenly screamed in the distance.
Aurora laughed. “We better go,” she said. Together, the three wolves left the arena behind, stepping out into the moonlit Earth Pack City. Sandstorm watched them approach with cold eyes. With a snort of disapproval, she whipped around and led the way.
There was no change of plans now. Aurora would soon be facing the Sky Pack again, to dare steal from the ruthless Queen Tempest. But that wasn’t what scared her the most. Aurora was dragging her friends right along with her into this perilous journey. That was the most terrifying prospect of all. It sent shivers down Aurora’s spine.
Did the four wolves have any chance at survival? Or, was their fate already sealed?
***
The Sky Pack mountains stuck out of the earth like sharp claws. The sun rose slowly above the peaks, causing dark shadows to fall over the land. Aurora gulped. She kept her head low, her ears flattened, and her pawsteps silent. Fear flooded through her veins as she let out a small whimper.
After what seemed like an eternity, the four wolves had reached their destination at last. A nervous silence fell over the group. This was far from feeling like a moment of triumph.
Aurora studied her old home with a frown. I don’t remember these mountains looking so twisted and threatening, she thought. I don’t remember being so afraid to be near my own pack.
Aurora winced. Her pawsteps faltered, causing her to fall behind the others. They aren’t my pack anymore, though. I’m now an exile who’s foolishly sneaking back in to steal from my own queen. Oh, this is beginning to feel like a bad idea!
Sandstorm gave Aurora a sharp glare. “Pick up the pace, Wings,” she snapped. “Don’t think you’re getting out of this. I’ll drag you into the Sky Pack if I have to!” Sandstorm pulled back her lips and bared her fangs, snarling.
Nautilus, who was walking beside Sandstorm, jumped back with a nervous yelp.
Aurora lashed her tail. “I’m coming,” she replied briskly. Yeesh, Aurora thought as she quickened her pace. Who’s getting her tail in a knot now?
Silence gripped the four wolves once again. The lack of noise was deafening. Aurora winced whenever her pawsteps made too much noise. She hung her head and carried on without uttering a word. Nautilus and Ember were just as gloomy.
Sandstorm’s fur slowly began to bristle. Her jaw clenched. Painful silence hung over the group for a few more moments. Then, suddenly: “Argh!” yelled Sandstorm. “You three are so annoying! I’ll… I’ll bite you!” Sandstorm snapped her jaws, as fast as lightning.
Nautilus scrambled away from the Earth Wolf, horrified. Ember backed away slowly, wondering if Sandstorm had lost her mind. “Whoa,” he said. “What was that for?”
Sandstorm’s flanks rose and fell with every sharp, furious breath she took. “Aren’t you three supposed to be warriors?” she demanded, ignoring Ember. “No wolf in their right mind would be attempting to steal from Queen Tempest! I was so sure I sensed something special about you three. But the longer I’m with you, the more I see how pathetic you all are! What’s with that?”
Aurora shifted her wings. “I wouldn’t call us pathetic,” she murmured. “We’re risking our lives to save Elementa. We’re doing what we must for peace.”
Sandstorm gave her a look of disgust, then turned her scrutinizing glare on Nautilus and Ember. “You really don’t have any fight in you at all,” she grumbled. Anger began to fill her eyes. “Where’s your enthusiasm? Where’s your hunger for battle? Your thrill for combat? Aren’t the three of you excited to wipe the floor with that uptight, good-for-nothing, snoot
y Tempest? I sure am!”
Nautilus’ ears flattened. “Um, I’m only doing this because Aurora said I should,” he explained awkwardly. “I would have been half way across the ocean on a nice island right about now.” At Aurora’s disbelieving look, Nautilus quickly added, “Oh! But, uh, I’m also doing it for the good of Elementa. Right?”
Aurora rolled her eyes. “That is the idea,” she sighed.
Sandstorm smacked a paw against her forehead. “You three are hopeless,” she groaned. “Absolutely hopeless. Queen Tempest will destroy you before you can even tell her something witty and heroic.” Sandstorm slowly lowered her paw, thinking.
Without warning, she leapt into the air and shot a blast of sand at Nautilus. As it travelled through the air, Ember abruptly rushed forward. He halted in front of Nautilus, then let out a cry of pain as the blast of sand collided with him.
Fury crackled through Aurora’s veins. How dare Sandstorm attack her friends? Aurora had trusted her! With a scream of rage, Aurora pounced on Sandstorm, digging her claws into her shoulders. Aurora winced. The Earth Wolf’s fur felt like rocks!
Sandstorm clamped her jaw down on Aurora’s leg, then roughly threw her aside. Nautilus skidded forward and cushioned Aurora’s fall. As the two wolves rose to their paws, Ember threw himself at Sandstorm with extended claws. Sandstorm effortlessly dodged his attack, causing the Fire Wolf to stumble.
As fast as lightning, Sandstorm crashed into Ember’s side, sending him flying across the prairie. Ember slammed into Aurora and Nautilus. The three wolves tumbled backward, then toppled into a pool of water with a loud splash. A cascade of white bubbles swirled around the three wolves.
Aurora threw her head out of the water, gasping to catch her breath. She had to blink a few times to clear the droplets out of her eyes. When her vision cleared, she spotted Sandstorm sitting near the pool’s edge, a scowl on her face. “What’s gotten into you?” Aurora demanded, just as Nautilus and Ember emerged beside her.