Element Animals: Legends Rising

IV - In Which Silverfang's Insanity is Revealed

One suncircle and three weeks old

Silverfang looked absolutely furious when she saw me, alive and singed. "How in stars' names did you get out of there alive?!" she screeched, her tail standing erect as she narrowed her eyes until they looked like she was squinting.

I shrugged. "Er, I flew?"

Silverfang snarled at her, her lips pulled back to show her gleaming white fangs. "No games here, owl. I asked you a question, and I intend for you to answer it. No one has survived that maze before--no one. So why, all of a sudden, you?"

I did not know how to answer her question but tried anyway. "I flew, and, er, I..." My voice trailed off, and I realized I couldn't answer it. I gave up and then tried to answer her second question: "Maybe I'm just super awesome or something? That's why I survived?"

Silverfang scoffed. "Is that what you think, stupid owl? No wonder I tried to kill you! Before was not adequate enough"--I saw that the entire forest was on fire, burning until it was reduced to meager piles of ashes upon the floor, embers glowing softly, half-hidden under the ashes, and thought that what she had thrown at me was definitely adequate--"so I must present to you an adequate enough challenge." She smirked at me. "Are you ready?"

"Er...no?" I said, but the wolf was already mustering up a huge fireball and another vortex of fire, and this time I wasn't sure if I could handle them. She sent the vortex whirling towards me, and as I flew to the side, it flew to the side with me, covering my every movement. Oh, great, I thought while sighing inwardly. I'll have to face this off elementally. I tested the air for moisture, and felt that there was very little all around me, the heat having absorbed it; however, there was also the water vapor from the river floating above me. I focused on that and imagined an invisible net, cast out by my mind, reeling in, with all the water vapor inside. I concentrated on each individual water molecule, making sure that no water escaped. And when I felt it vibrating against each other, I squeezed it together into a liquid.

The water crashed downwards from out of the blue, a torrent of rain that suddenly and quickly surround the fire, which emitted a hsssssss. Then, with a few flickers, the fire died. Silverfang hissed in anger at the sudden downpour and let loose a howl. Immediately afterward, there came fire--a ton of it.

Flames filled my vision until I could see nothing but dazzling red, radiant orange, and vivid yellow, a few spots of outstanding black dancing across the fire. The heat hit me later, and then my skin puckered up in agony and I let loose a screech to rival her fire-summoning howl. Oh, stars, why is this happening to me of all animals?

I could hear a cackling laugh, but it was distorted with the snapping and popping of the fire that sounded so loud, like thunder, in my ears. No! I thought to myself. You cannot let her get the best of you--think! Think what is at stake--possibly the world--if she defeats you. Her power will be unchecked, and she'll destroy the world before conquering it. Is that what you really want?

A little voice inside of me replied, But do you really want to save the world? You already have had so many horrific things happen to you--the death of your parents when you were a little owlet, not even fully-fledged; the explosion of your home, in which you and your littler brother were caught in; the loss of your brother, who wasn't even fully covered in down; having to fight for your own life, when you were still an owlet; almost drowning because of some stupid fireball over prey, for the moon's sake; the earlier fight with Silverfang; and now this. Why you? Why couldn't this have happened to some other owl, make them suffer?

Another voice, stronger than the little, whining voice, snapped back, Look at yourself, Avalanche. You're wishing that another owl could suffer, just so you could have had a happy owlet-hood. This is not what Ma and Da brought you up to be--a whining, selfish owl. They brought you up to be a selfless, kind owl who helps others in their time of need and never, ever gave up on the world. Never. Now get your fluffy tail feathers out there and do something good, something that Ma and Da would be proud of you for! 

The mental argument filled me with determination. The power of fighting with myself shone within me.

You are ready to do this, I told myself. And I was. I was ready to do this. 

Wait. What's "this"? the little voice nagged again.

Oh, shut up, the bigger voice growled at it, and then I concentrated with all my might, envisioning all the water droplets that still existed, then imagined them coming together to make one giant water drop (I did not want to make any more clouds). Then I visualized that water drop extinguishing all the fire. As soon as I let go of the vision, I felt something blissfully cool surround me on all sides, and I felt the familiar whoosh of the water filtering through my gills. Aah, finally, I thought peacefully, in tranquil happiness, I am no longer burning alive. Then I realized that--oh. That's quite a reminder that Silverfang is still out there, probably trying to burst that bubble you're in right now. I was filled with a sudden determination to protect my bubble and keep from burning again.

I pushed outwards with my mind and the bubble's walls were expanded, beating back the fire with the sheer force of the waves until there was nothing left but a sopping wet Silverfang and the burnt forest, which now streamed grey into the river, contaminating the water, until it was a dirty, murky grey, bits of lighter grey swirling around on top. Oops, I thought. I'll have to fix that pollution. But for now, I have to focus.

And focus I did. I focused on saving the forest, and I gathered water until I could feel it teetering on the brink of release, begging to show its power and douse everything--and by everything, it meant everything. I was ready for Silverfang, and now I observed for, finally breaking the thick, heavy silence that seethed with the wolf's hatred (I seriously didn't know why she hated me so much. I had just been angry at her for stealing my prey, and then I had defended myself and survived...). "I propose a truce. We stop fighting, don't do any more damage to these poor biomes, and just walk away, hunting our own prey from now on," I said while staring intently at her, watching for any signs of change. Silverfang's nostrils flared and she bared her teeth in a horrible grimace (though I was pretty sure it was supposed to be a grin). "But what's the fun in that?" she asked, flicking her tail ever so slightly.

I sighed in exasperation, though I continued being vigilant in my observation of her movements, looking for warnings. "There's not supposed to be fun," I replied, like she was a little owlet (or rather, a pup), and I was her parent (stars, what a terrifying idea). "It's supposed to be safe for the biomes and for us. And for just about every other animal who lives here, considering you're probably a mass murderer by now."

Silverfang cackled, a high, long laugh that grated on my earholes surrounded by feathers. "Ahaha! Y'know, I may keep you alive just because of your humor. I really do appreciate your calling me 'a mass murderer'. I take the honor very seriously," she said solemnly.

I stared at her, aghast. "It's an honor to be called a mass murderer?" I questioned faintly, hoping with all my heart that this was not true.

But alas, I was to be disappointed.

"Of course!" Silverfang said cheerfully. "It's quite an honor, too. It is really one of the highest honors there are, but still below, y'know, taker-over of the world and whatnot."

Despite my horror, I was perplexed. "Is 'taker-over' even a word? ... Two words?" I mused.

Silverfang glared at me. "Shut up."

I smirked, more than myself at her, to ease my nervousness, then repeated, "I propose a truce. Do you accept it, or not?"

Silverfang rolled her eyes. "With an egotistical maniac like you? Of course not! To do so would only bring about ruin."

I was completely confused. "I am an egotistical maniac? And 'only bring about ruin'? Silverfang, please," I said, not even caring if I sounded like I was begging. "Just please accept this truce and don't destroy the forest, the meadow, or the river--lots of lives depend on these biomes, and if you burn them to ashes, then they'll all die."

Silverfang looked like she was considering my answer. "Hmm," she mused. "Save tons of lives?"

I nodded emphatically. "Become a hero! Er, heroine! Saving lives from yourself!" Perhaps that was not the right thing to say, as Silverfang scowled at me. "Aaand you lost it."

Indeed. It was not the right thing to say.

"Thanks to you, now all of these lives will be ruined--they'll all die, burned to ashes!" Silverfang cackled, and then the world turned red, then black.