by Sophie Torro
Aurora stuck her tongue out at him. “She learned to think for herself,” Aurora responded. “She also learned to open her heart to others, and to give them a chance.”
Blizzard suddenly looked nervous. “You never told me why you’re here,” he said, sitting up. “I have a feeling that it’s to do more than rescue prisoners.”
Aurora nodded. There was so much that Blizzard didn’t know. So much that he had missed during his time here. “I don’t have time to explain it all,” Aurora told him briskly. “But things are getting bad, Blizzard. Really bad. My friends and I are going to defeat Queen Tempest, before she destroys all of Elementa. I’ll catch you up on the details later.”
Aurora was suddenly aware of how full the prison was now. Hundreds of wolves were scattered throughout the corridor, looking cold and dazed. A few Fire Wolves had gotten their powers back after having a chance to warm up, and were now helping their fellow inmates escape from their jail of ice. Nautilus looked grateful for the help.
Blizzard rose to his paws. “I’m going to help you,” he bravely told Aurora. “You and your friends shouldn’t do this alone.”
“I admire your courage,” she told him, “but I can’t let you face Queen Tempest right now. You’ve hardly recovered any of your strength yet.”
Blizzard lashed his tail in frustration. “But I want to help,” he protested. “I can’t just sit by and do nothing!”
Aurora looked around at all the prisoners. Everyone was free now, but they all looked cold, sad, hungry, and miserable. Her heart twisted with compassion for them.
“I know what you can do,” Aurora told Blizzard, turning her attention to him. “Why don’t you lead these wolves out of the Sky Pack? You know these mountains better than anyone—you’ve been sneaking out of the kingdom for moons. If anyone can guide them to safety, it’ll be you.”
Blizzard nodded thoughtfully. “I can do that,” he said brightly. “Good idea, Aurora.” Blizzard lifted his head and let out a howl. The sound bounced through the prison, catching the attention of every wolf. They stared at Blizzard wearily. “Everyone!” he shouted. “Follow me! I can safely lead you to your packs. We’ll escape this place together!”
The prisoners began to move closer to Blizzard, seeming to trust him. It wasn’t like they had much of a choice.
Aurora rested her head on Blizzard’s shoulder. “Good luck out there,” she told him.
Blizzard pulled back. “You’re the one who needs luck,” he responded nervously. “But I know you and your friends can do this, Aurora. Just… try to stay safe. Don’t pull any crazy stunts, okay?”
Aurora gave Blizzard a bleak nod. Fear was beginning to grip her with its sharp claws. “We’ll be fine,” Aurora responded. “My friends and I are a team. We’ll look out for one another.”
Blizzard gave Aurora an anxious smile. “See you soon,” he said.
Blizzard turned around and led the countless prisoners into the mines beyond. Within moments, they all disappeared into the darkness, leaving Aurora, Ember, Nautilus, and Sandstorm all alone.
No matter what happened next, at least Aurora knew that Blizzard was safe. She let out a sigh. “You three ready to face Queen Tempest?” Aurora asked her friends with a nervous smile.
Nautilus transformed back into his Water Wolf form. “Um, no?” he responded.
Ember roughly pushed Nautilus behind him, giving him a warning growl. Ember then calmly looked at Aurora. “We’re ready,” he said with a charming smile. “Let’s go save the world.”
CHAPTER 16
Aurora and her friends cautiously crept through Queen Tempest’s fortress. It was eerily silent and hauntingly beautiful, like a castle of ghosts.
Ice sculptures lined the edge of each room, portraying Queen Tempest and other notable wolves in Sky Pack history.
The walls of the castle were made of granite, so white and pale that they almost looked like mirrors. Aurora stared at her nervous expression for a moment, before looking away.
She had to lift her head up to the point of discomfort just to see the roof. It featured silver chandeliers and diamond-encrusted tiles.
This place was truly fit for a queen.
Aurora admired the castle with wide eyes. She had never explored beyond Queen Tempest’s chamber before. This would have been a dream come true for Aurora—but that was before she had learned of Queen Tempest’s wickedness.
Remember your mission, Aurora told herself. We’re here to bring peace to Elementa. Don’t let the majesty of this castle distract you from that.
Aurora flattened her ears and pushed onward. Her friends followed closely behind her—Sandstorm suspiciously glared at everything she saw, Ember’s eyes were clouded in thought, while Nautilus gawked at the castle like a tourist.
Except for the four wolves, nobody appeared to be inside the fortress walls. Aurora guessed that all the guards were outside, along with the royal helpers and staff, to prepare for the upcoming invasion. Time was running out before the Sky Pack attacked the rest of Elementa. Aurora could feel it. They needed to move quickly.
“Are you sure you’re taking us in the right direction?” Sandstorm grouchily asked Aurora. “Is Queen Tempest really this way?” Her light brown fur bristled like a porcupine.
Aurora inhaled a deep breath, allowing all the castle’s scents to fill her lungs. “I’m almost certain that Queen Tempest is this way,” Aurora confirmed, while taking a sudden turn to the left. “I recognize her scent. It’s recent, too. And the further along I walk this way, the stronger her scent becomes. We’re almost at her room… we’ll find her there.”
Nautilus flattened his ears and whimpered. Ember seemed to snap back to reality at Aurora’s chilling words. Sandstorm flexed her razor-like claws, as if imagining herself clawing at Queen Tempest.
Aurora led her friends into a small but tall room, where Queen Tempest’s scent lingered in the air. Inside was a long, spiraling staircase that stretched high above their heads. Aurora inhaled a deep breath, becoming overwhelmed by the scent of rage. The queen had stalked up these stairs recently, perhaps only minutes ago. There was no doubt about it.
“Let’s go,” Aurora whispered. Her lungs felt tight as she slowly walked up the staircase. Aurora winced whenever the steps let out low, ominous creaks. Her white pelt stood on end, and the feathers on her wings ruffled. Fear flooded through her veins like a dark tsunami, threatening to crash over any hint of bravery she still had left. Aurora’s heart pounded.
“Hey, guys?” Nautilus whispered. “If we… if we don’t survive this, I just, uh, want you to know something.” Nautilus sniffed, beginning to cry. “You three are the best friends I ever had. My only friends. You embraced me for who I am when no wolf ever has. For that, I’ll always be grateful.” Nautilus broke off into a sob. He smacked his fish-like tail over his face, trying to stifle the noise he was making.
Ember looked grim. “I have something to say, too,” he whispered. “I… appreciate you all putting up with me, throughout our journey together. I know I’ve been really short-tempered sometimes, and a bit of a hothead. But the three of you care about me in a way nobody ever has. You have my thanks.”
Aurora sighed, feeling her heart ache with grief. She hated acting like this was the end, but in reality, their journey would probably come to a close any moment now.
“I’m so happy I was able to meet you,” Aurora told her friends. “You’ve changed my life around for the better. If I had never met you, I would have been one of the soldiers out in that courtyard, ready to destroy the other packs. I’m glad life brought us together.”
There was a long silence as the others waited for Sandstorm to make her speech. “Your sappiness will kill me faster than Queen Tempest will,” Sandstorm snapped. “You three are so obnoxious. Zip it and let me think.”
Well. That was the end of that heartfelt moment.
The four wolves reached the top of the staircase. Just a tail’s length
away was the entrance to Queen Tempest’s room—and the door was wide open. Her scent was overwhelming. It threatened to choke Aurora.
Aurora’s heart was beating so quickly that she thought the entire Sky Pack could hear it. Calm down, calm down, calm down, Aurora told herself in a panic. She slowly crept forward, moving with extreme caution. Everything will be fine. Everything will be okay. Everything will— Aurora’s entire body froze in an instant. She’s right there!
Queen Tempest sat only a few tail lengths away, staring blankly at one of the walls. Murky light from the balcony pooled into the room, producing long and gloomy shadows.
Queen Tempest’s striking eyes were glossy. Her grey fur was shaggy. Her ears were flattened. Queen Tempest didn’t move, not even a muscle. She was as still as a statue.
Aurora stared at her former queen with wide green eyes. What in Elementa was wrong with her? Why was Queen Tempest just sitting there, staring straight ahead, and looking like the saddest wolf in Elementa? This was not the vicious monster the queen had presented herself as, the last time Aurora had seen her.
Ember crept forward without making a sound, brushing up beside Aurora. He slowly stretched out one paw and pointed at something behind Queen Tempest. “Look,” Ember soundlessly mouthed.
Aurora followed Ember’s gaze. He was pointing at Queen Tempest’s grand throne. Aurora peered closer at it, trying to understand what had caught Ember’s attention. She nearly gasped. Resting on the throne was a massive, jagged crown, made entirely out of White Elemental Heart. It was absolutely huge. Aurora was shocked to imagine a wolf wearing something like that. The crown must be heavy. Her neck felt cramped just by looking at it.
Remember that the White Elemental Heart crown isn’t an accessory, Aurora told herself. It’s a superweapon that can easily destroy Elemental, in the wrong paws.
Ember gently nudged Aurora to get her attention. The two wolves looked into each other’s eyes. Aurora felt nervous, while Ember appeared frustrated. He wanted to discuss a plan with Aurora, but wasn’t able to utter a word. Perhaps they should have thought this through a bit better.
But there was no going back now.
Without warning, Sandstorm jabbed Aurora with her paw. She turned around to face the Earth Wolf, wondering what idea she had come up with. Sandstorm frowned for a moment, wondering how she could communicate her idea without words.
Then, Sandstorm pointed at Aurora’s nimble paws and sleek legs. Sandstorm gestured to her own bulky figure, and then to Nautilus’ webbed paws and tail that dragged on the ground, and then lastly at Ember’s scrawny, somewhat clumsy figure.
Sandstorm gave Aurora a meaningful glare, then pointed at the crown.
“Me?” Aurora mouthed. “Crown?” Aurora realized that she was chosen for this perilous task due to being the lightest on her paws. Dread oozed over her like tar. She had been nominated to enter the room and to sneak past Queen Tempest.
“Yes,” Sandstorm wordlessly replied. “Go. Now.”
Aurora froze with fear. She felt as cold as the ice sculptures that decorated the castle. For a moment, she was unable to breathe. Visions of everything that could possibly go wrong swirled through her brain like a tornado. Aurora had to hold back a whimper. Could she really steal the crown without getting caught?
Queen Tempest was only a few steps away!
Without warning, Sandstorm bit Aurora’s scruff and tossed her into the queen’s room. Aurora nearly yelped. She landed softly on her paws, managing to stifle as much noise as possible. However, when she touched the ground, she produced a small thump.
Aurora held her breath. She slowly moved her head to look at Queen Tempest, who had her back turned to Aurora. Her ears lifted ever so slightly at the noise. However, she didn’t move.
Aurora released a quiet, almost soundless sigh of relief. Then, she slowly made her way to the White Elemental Heart crown, one trembling pawstep at a time. Aurora desperately hoped that her fear scent wouldn’t expose her, but Queen Tempest seemed to be too lost in her thoughts to notice.
One pawstep closer… two pawsteps closer… three… four… five…
Every agonizing second seemed to drag on for eternity. This was the worst experience of Aurora’s life. She wanted it to end. She wanted this nightmare to be over. But it wouldn’t stop. Not until she stole the crown. It was so close. She was nearly there. Just a few more steps, and the crown will be hers.
Aurora slowly crept up the stairs that led to the throne’s platform. The crown shimmered welcomingly when Aurora stood over it. Power began to surge through her veins, just by gazing at the mass of Elemental Heart crystals.
Aurora bent her head to pick up the crown in her jaw. Then, suddenly—
“Oh, Frost,” Queen Tempest whispered in the most heartbroken voice Aurora had ever heard. “I wish you could have been here today.”
Silence hung in the air like a heavy fog. Aurora turned to stare at her friends, who lingered near the room’s entrance. They gave Aurora a confused look. Sandstorm impatiently motioned for Aurora to hurry with her tail.
“I miss you every day, Frost,” Queen Tempest continued. She released a long sigh. “Although it has been countless moons since I lost you, my grief has never healed. My anger has never wavered.” Queen Tempest clenched her jaw. “My desire for revenge still remains strong—and today, my goals will be realized.”
Aurora turned her attention to Queen Tempest, distracted from the crown.
Queen Tempest was staring at a portrait of a wolf, who looked just like her. They shared the same light grey fur, the same pale blue eyes, and the same narrow face. However, the wolf in this portrait, Frost, Aurora assumed, was much younger than Queen Tempest. There was a mischievous glint in her painted eyes, and Frost was depicted as wearing armour worn only by a Commander of the Royal Guard.
Aurora curiously tipped her head to one side. She had never heard of a wolf named Frost before, especially not one who supposedly led the Sky Pack army. Frost must have lived a long time ago, before Aurora had been born. What connection does Frost have with Queen Tempest? she wondered. They must be related. They look so similar.
Queen Tempest suddenly rose to her paws, her fury crackling through the air. “King Inferno will pay for what he did to you,” she snarled fiercely. “His actions will cost him his life, and his entire pack! I will annihilate every Fire Wolf from the face of Elementa today! Nobody destroys my daughter and gets away with it! All of Elementa will feel my wrath. The other packs will be no more once I am through with them!”
Queen Tempest slashed her claws against the floor. Sparks flew. “I will make sure that what happened to you will never happen to a Sky Wolf again,” Queen Tempest promised Frost in a venomous voice. “I will turn all of Elementa into Sky Pack territory. I will keep our wolves safe from the other elementals, and bring peace to our pack. There will be no more war. No more opposition. No more suffering.”
Queen Tempest smiled wickedly. “And it all begins now.” She turned around, ready to claim her crown and begin her conquest of Elementa. Queen Tempest froze. “You!” she snarled in a dangerous voice.
Aurora was struck with horror when she met Queen Tempest’s livid glare. Aurora instinctively snatched the crown with her fangs, ready to run for her life. She gasped. The crown was heavier than she had imagined!
Without warning, Queen Tempest shot a ruthless blast of wind at Aurora. It slashed at her pelt like a whip. Aurora was knocked away from the crown and sent flying across the room. She landed painfully on her shoulder. “Argh!” Aurora cried.
Without warning, Ember threw himself at Queen Tempest. He landed on her back, gripping his claws into her fur. Queen Tempest let out a shriek of pure rage.
“Sandstorm! Nautilus!” Ember screamed. “Get the crown!”
Queen Tempest clamped her fangs around Ember’s leg, then threw him aside. Just before Ember could slam into the ground, Queen Tempest shot a blast of wind at him, throwing him backward.
Ember crashed into the wall, then collapsed to the floor.
“A Fire Wolf,” Queen Tempest hissed in a snake-like voice. Her shadow fell over Ember as she slithered closer. “You will pay for your foolishness!”
There was a slight scraping sound as Sandstorm and Nautilus lifted the crown. Queen Tempest immediately whirled around, snarling monstrously. Without hesitating, Queen Tempest sent an explosion of wind their way.
Nautilus was sent tumbling backward. He let out a startled cry as he was thrown out onto the balcony—and toward the perilous drop below. Nautilus was miraculously caught by the railing. He scrambled to safety with wide eyes.
Sandstorm managed to grip a stalagmite that stuck out of the floor, while tightly gripping the crown in her other paw. Sandstorm held on for dear life as Queen Tempest strengthened the wind’s power. Sandstorm’s eyes widened. Her brown fur wildly lashed. Sparks flew under her claws.
Queen Tempest slowly prowled closer, and closer, and even closer than before. The wind continued to grow stronger, beginning to reach the strength of a tornado. Rocks crumbled from the cave roof. They slammed into the ground with a deadly bang.
“Wolves of each element working to defeat me,” Queen Tempest shouted scornfully. She looked at Ember, who laid limply on the ground, Aurora, who was struggling to rise to her paws, Nautilus, who trembled fearfully in the corner, and then at Sandstorm, who gripped the crown tighter. “What a pitiful notion.” Queen Tempest reached out a paw to snatch the crown.
In a flash, Sandstorm released her grip on the stalagmite. She was immediately thrown backward in the dangerous airstream, while desperately clutching the crown. With her free paw, Sandstorm shot a blast of sand at Queen Tempest. Her attack was rendered useless. The sand was hurled back, away from Queen Tempest—Sandstorm was taken right along with it.
Sandstorm was thrown out onto the balcony. The crown slipped out of her paws and skidded to a halt near the ledge. Unlike Nautilus, Sandstorm wasn’t lucky enough to be caught by the railing.