Shadewylf

5 - Defender

It was no use. No matter what she tried, it still wouldn't work. Every single substance that might cause some sort of corrosion, even an irritation, came with challenges. There was always something that left it impossible.

Once, about an hour ago, she'd gotten close. Almost to the point of testing. But then she'd realised that her maths had been incorrect. So she'd been back to square one.

Growling in frustration, Lexi tore her claws through yet another page of endless calculations. Once again, this test had lead to the same conclusion.

With the elements currently discovered, claw-made poison was impossible.

"But, of course, I can't tell them that," she muttered to herself. "They won't believe me. They won't believe science." Shaking herself, she bounded to the open doorway, in need of some fresh air.

Why isn't a Toxiwylf's venom enough for them? she wondered. What makes them need to act at a distance?

It had briefly crossed her mind to try collecting the toxins from wolves of the poisonous Pelt. But that plan was thwarted by Thorin's Third Law - the annoyingly logical one, which stated that all matter produced by a wolf was useless without its host.

Shaking out her golden fur, Lexi pulled her mind away from work, instead focusing on the beautiful sight before her. Millions - no, billions of stars, each a massive ball of burning gas, reduced to mere pinpricks of light amongst the darkness. It was said that every star visible from Sylvera was constructed of a wolf's soul, after their earthly form had passed on. Only the most noble and pure souls could become stars. As she gazed out into the night, she was witnessing the afterlives of all the kindest, bravest, and most generous wolves that had come before her.

Just that very thought let a blanket of calm settle over her Pelt. She breathed out, a sigh of contentment. Maybe I'l call it a day here.

As she stepped away, something made her turn back to observe the darkened front of her lab. The four golden letters loomed out of the darkness. Lexi. Nothing more, nothing less.

With a dismissive flick of her tail, Lexi turned her hazel eyes back to the path before her. Her name meant defender. She'd known that ever since it had first been gifted to her, nearly six moons ago now.

But what did that mean? How could she defend anyone? She was hardly capable of defending herself, let alone anyone else. The only wolf she had a chance at defending was Thirty-Four, and she'd failed spectacularly at that. There was nothing she could do against Maynard, or Damon.

With a frustrated shake of her head, Lexi sped up her pace, turning the corner and rendering her lab out of sight. She glanced up at the grimy window of the larger lab on the end. Even in the gloomy darkness, she could clearly make out the silvery threads of cobwebs, glimmering through the grey glass. The lab was owned by Ramman - a wolf who hadn't visited his lab in over a moon now, and had recieved no punishment for doing so.

But if she was even a few minutes late, she could wave goodbye to that week's pay.

The anger hardened her gaze. The next building she passed was the Wylfire headquarters itself, and she trained a forceful glare on the flame-orange walls. At night, they were bleached of the fiery colour, but even now heat radiated from the place, sizzling and crackling amongst the moisture in the air. Lexi's glare fell away. As furious as the unfairness made her, there was nothing she could do. The Flamewylves were simply too powerful.

From there, it was only a short trek before she was met with the much softer walls of her own home. The place only consisted of two rooms, and so from the outside it appeared small and feeble, even compared to the other two or three room houses edging the street. But Lexi knew better. It was deceptive. Once inside, all that became a distant memory.