Thirty-Four has been awaiting his Pelt all his life. All across the wolf world of Sylvera, others wield magic of all kinds, and he longs for the ability to channel his own power.
All around him, mysteries begin to unfold. With eyes watching from the...
Black was everywhere, the sky starless. Rustles and faceless whispers accompanied his slight breaths, forcefully steady and controlled. Too many times, this strange place had buried him in panic, and left him gasping, terrified. But this time, he wouldn't let it. Not tonight.
The dark swooped in as it did every night, coiling tighter around him, forming a crushing cage. Pressing his fangs together, he pulled away, prowling through the empty forest. Still the darkness pressed inwards.
He couldn't fight it. He knew that now. It was too strong for him. Every move he made only worsened its trapping grip.
Then don't fight it.
The voice didn't come from outside the darkness. Nor did it come from anywhere inside. It whispered within him, perhaps even somewhere close to his heart, and it sounded so convincing.
The howls sounded, first one then growing in number, calling him to run towards them. His paws moved away. He was powerless to stop himself from chasing after their calls of promise and hope. Yet when he tried to push through the darkness, it pushed back, spinning the world until the howls were impossible to pinpoint.
Don't push. Don't fight it.
Toivo grasped for that whisper. Something deep inside rose to the surface, flowing with a power he hadn't felt before.
Don't fight it. Use it.
He stopped fighting.
The darkness rippled around him, and he let it, feeling it brush against his flank. But instead of pressing in, it sank straight through, blending with the black of his fur.
Suddenly, the howls were sharper, clearer. Directly ahead. A howl of his own burst from his jaw, the sound soaring out ahead of him, and he ran.
The night didn't fight him, and so he didn't fight back. Instead, it seemed to carry him, sending his paws speeding softly through the emptiness.
Dark shapes shifted up ahead, separate from the night. He drew closer to them. So close that he could see the glow of their eyes, brighter than everything else around. Amber. Violet. Real wolves, real companions. He wasn't alone in the dark anymore.
When he howled, they howled with him, and the darkness never dived closer. It clung to his fur, its touch gentle.
"Toivo!"
And then it all shattered.
Silver streaks sliced through the darkness as the stars emerged once more. The tug of the night fell away. For once, he felt almost saddened to see it go.
The dark wolves faded, and the light stole him away.
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"Toivo! Toivo!"
The real world returned to Toivo once more, first a voice and then the cold press of stone against his flank. He kept his eyes closed for a moment, not quite ready to leave the dark safety they provided.
