The Packs of Dusk: Book 1: Mystical Wings

Chapter Seven Part One: The Three Dark Clues

"No no no no no!" Ulysses paced around in front of the HeartStone nervously, growling with frustration every few moments.

"Calm down, it's only a hint of the colors," said Miocu with a worried voice. Tweedle and I sat to the side of the cave, watching Ulysses pace uselessly.

"A hint of it?" Screamed Ulysses, pointing her head at Miocu angrily. "You know how fast that stuff spreads! We have to get back and warn the Mystics!" She shut her eyes and the three each turned invisible, and I lifted off the ground and began to fly back to the mountains, only to come up with an idea. I turned around, not far from the column, and landed in front of them.

"Ulysses, turn me into a ForestPack wolf. When I howl, change me to a SandPack wolf."

"Why?" She snipped.

"So I can warn the Packs," I explained.

"We are supposed to NOT help them," chirped Miocu, joining the conversation.

"Just do it!" I said, and Ulysses did.

I was transformed into a white and brown wolf. The brown shades dotted my body, and my wings were gone. I nodded and padded off into the forest, quickly finding their camp.

Wolves of shades of whites and blacks and browns roamed the camp, but one wolf in a hollow tree caught my attention. I sneakily crawled over to the male wolf.

"Alpha," I said, and the wolf looked up, "I have a report. The HeartStone has been tinted with the unholy Dark colors." The male brown wolf growled to himself, then stood up and walked out of his hollow. He leaped up onto a large, flat-topped stone.

Wolves, young and old, poured out of bushes and leaves and beneath trees. They gathered around the stone and the Alpha invited me up onto it. I leaped up next to him and sat respectfully.

"We gather at the HowlStone today to give a fearsome notice this wolf here has delivered me. The HeartStone is being corrupt by DarkOnes!" The crowd erupted into murmurs, even hearing accusations such as "that wolf did it."

I howled, and I was transformed into a SandPack wolf -- my body entirely a soft yellow. The crowd erupted again, this time with loud barks of anger and commands to attack.

I bolted, dashing through the forest, dodging trees and things of the like, all while being chased by an angry pack of brown and white and black wolves.

I saw the yellow on the horizon, so I ran even harder, the alpha now right on my tail. About a few feet away from the yellow I braced myself and launched myself to the other side. They can't cross, for it would be trespassing and denying the rules of our ancestors.

The angry Pack growled and turned around, stalking back into the dense forest. I sighed and collapsed, exhausted from the long run through the forest. Nevertheless, I stood up and made my way to the SandPack camp which was only a few meters away from the water of the ocean.

I made it there, a large ravine of sand, and made it down the "steps." I quickly made my way around, asking who the alpha was and where he is. With enough knowledge, I made my way over to the all-white wolf and looked him in the eye.

"DarkOnes are coming. The HeartStone has been partially corrupt," I said bluntly. The alpha's blue eyes went big, his mouth a curious "o."

He leaped up atop a sand hill, and he beckoned for me to sit next to him just like the last. I sat up beside him.

Wolves the shades of yellows, soft and hard, and whites came out of the sandy caves. They gathered around.

"We gather at the Sandpile today with a grave warning..." Suspense clouded the crowd as the alpha spoke with his stern voice. "The DarkOnes are corrupting the HeartStone!"

The crowd erupted into murmurs. While they were distracted I howled, and my wings grew back, out and wide for the whole world to see. My blue returned, and I was my normal self.

The crowd stopped, and the Pack went quiet.

"Mystic!" Shouted one of the wolves, and I nervously launched myself up and flew away towards the camp in which I belong.

I turned around to see the Alpha staring at me, love clear in his eyes. I nodded at him, making a note to return to him. I didn't love him, though, to me he's just a stranger.

I flew back and landed at camp, to find the rainbow of the Mystics -- even the pups -- gathered around the Firerock.

I landed next to Flare, where Miocu, Ulysses and Tweedle were seated.

"... Are coming," finished Flare. I looked over.

"Upon coming back," began Miocu, brandishing his red and yellow fur, "we found three clues: a red leaf, a bag of blue sand, and a green rock. The first clue we found was a red leaf -- we suspect it to be found in the forest, as sand is to desert like rock is to mountains. We, as a group, suspect this, once all the clue items are joined together the portal to the DarkOne's lair will be open on Sacrifice Isle. From there, we can penetrate the lair and diminish the DarkOnes for the fiftieth time."

The crowd whooped and cheered.

First things first: the red leaf.