(Temporary cover art, I'm lazy.)
Abandoned at a young age, Kate Cho was taken in by the strongest rogue pack on the island. Raised among Luminents gifted with elemental and spiritual magic - fire, shadow, earth, and powers far more complex than she...
- "You can't keep excusing his behavior every time he gets mixed up in something. You understand that, right?" -
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As dawn's light began to creep over the treetops and the birds made their first morning calls, a pack of wolves gathered in a small clearing. The clearing was dusty, with sand and gravel occasionally interrupted by patches of dead grass and fallen pine needles from the towering sequoia trees above.
The air that morning was thick. Stiff winds ruffled their fur, along with the sudden sprinkle of rain here and there. It wasn't enough to be irritating, just enough to leave them cold and shivering.
"Quickly, now. Quickly!" a voice called. Atop a chiseled rock that stood higher than the rest stood a cloudy white wolf. He had long ruffled fur that seemed matted and tangled. Large, straight ears, and glistening blue eyes. His snout was stubby and unnaturally short. Alongside his ears and neck were a couple of healed scars.
A few wolves gave little grumbles of acknowledgment towards him. Lying down, sitting, grooming, eating. The majority of wolves in the area were now gathered underneath the rock, waiting for him to speak.
"Fall has arrived. And with it will come winter," he scorned, a look of worry written on his face, "I'm sure you know what this means."
"Last winter was rough, Theos." There was a brown wolf that accompanied him on the rock. He sat just a few paw steps away. He continued, "How can we be certain we'll be comfortable throughout this season?"
Theos acknowledged him, "We'll just have to be more assertive. Bade, up north, stays comfortable year-round. It's ridiculous how they fatten themselves up during the cold seasons, and everyone else stays as sick as a dog."
"So what do you suggest we do? We've proven that we cannot overthrow Bade on our own," his right hand responded.
"I believe we can pull a few strings. Only for this season, though," Theos growled, "I don't want them getting the wrong idea once winter thaws."
Down in the clearing, as the leaders of the pack mingled, a smaller she-wolf was sitting by herself. Her pelt was matte black, except for white markings along her ears and tail. Her eyes were heterochromic; blue and green. They looked rather dull, though.
She took a deep breath and stood up from her spot. She wasn't paying much attention to the meeting going on anyway. She had too much on her mind to worry about trivial pack problems. Passing through a couple of wolves, she made her way to the back of the clearing.
"Ah- Kate, where are you going?" said a voice from behind her. She turned around to see that it was another young pup, not much taller than her. His fur was also black, but it leaned more toward a dark gray. He had striking blue eyes that pierced her with a ferocity she'd never known till she met him.
Kate muttered shyly, "I just need a moment."
"May I join you?" he suggested, his face written with worry.
