ã€ŠThe Dragon and the Foxã€‹


 Prologue

    In a world where there were no humans, in a time where there was no war, at a place no one dared enter, a white dragon lay next to her egg.

    She watched the stars at night, and how the moon made its dance across the sky. She watched as the sun rose and set, dictating the loves of her fellow creatures. She watched as the clouds gathered, formed, and dispersed, only to reform once again. She watched as th grass grew slowly and the flowers budded, bloomed, and then withered.

    Nothing deterred her from her egg. Not this time.

    This dragon, Aramynta, had lost four eggs already. Predators, accidents, and other things had left her devoid of children for the past thirty eclipses. This egg was her last one, as her husband was dead.

    She would not let it break. She would not abandon it.

    Then, one night, the sky was black.

    There were no stars. There was no moon. Only darkness and a void, empty space where the beauty of the night sky had been.

    Aramynta laid her ears back and gazed at what was once sky with uncertainty. She knew what this was. The Night of Darkness.

    The Night of Darkness only happened once every thousand eclipses. It was a day where the Rift¡ªthe gateway to the Shadow World¡ªtore itself open, and spirits and shadows were free to roam the world of Cyalia, terrorizing the honorable beasts that lived there.

    Aramynta turned to her egg, planning to find a cave to rest for the night and keep it safe from any danger.

    She froze.

    Her egg¡ªher beautiful, pearly white egg¡ªwas black and jagged looking. Cracks were forming on the surface, which swirled with scarlet and shadow.

    It was hatching.

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    No, no, no, no!  Aramynta thought frantically, rushing to her treasure, her only treasure. Please! Not tonight! Any other night! Please!

    But the egg would not listen. It couldn¡¯t listen, being an egg. Unhatched dragonets tend to be quite daft when it comes to other dragons¡¯ problems.

    Aramynta watched, helpless, as the egg began to hatch. Tears began forming in her blue eyes. She knew what she had to do, but she waited a little longer.

    Finally, the shell burst, revealing the little dragonet inside. Aramynta let out a sob.

    What had happened to her dragonet?

    It was black. Its horns were already sharp, curved and twisted inwards like the demons that she had seen. The yolk of the egg was stained red¡ªunlike the original white and gold¡ªmaking the dragonet look covered in blood. It¡¯s teeth and claws were pointy and jagged.

    Aramynta scooped up the dragonet¡ªher dragonet¡ªin her talons, then walked slowly to the edge of the cliff she had been resting on. She would throw it off, then fly away. It was the safest choice. Who knows how much the Rift would affect the dragonet with its darkness and corruption?

    Aramynta held the dragonet over the cliff, watching the sea churn down below. Far, far down below. She imagined her dragonet¡¯s little body broken at the bottom.

    Could she do it?

    Could she do what was necessary?

    At that moment of hesitation, the dragonet opened its eyes. They were blood red, with white slits.

    ¡°Mommy?¡± it said in a tiny voice. Dragons were born with the ability to form simple sentences, although Aramynta had never truly believed that until now.

    Mommy. That word sent a chill down Aramynta¡¯s spine. She¡¯d never been called that before.

    How could she throw something that could speak off of a cliff?

    How could she throw her own dragonet off of a cliff?

    Aramynta withdrew the dragonet from the edge and held it to her blue chest, feeling its heart beat. She felt the tears squeeze out through her eyes, down her cheeks, and onto the dragonet¡¯s head, forming white splotches wherever they touched.

    ¡°I can¡¯t get rid of you,¡± she whispered. ¡°But I can¡¯t keep you. I am sorry.¡±

    She gently set the dragonet on the grass and took a step back.

    ¡°Mommy?¡± the dragonet asked again. Aramynta turned away.

    ¡°Goodbye, little one,¡± she said. She spread her wings and took off into the sky, her heart burning with regret and sadness.

    The little black dragonet watched her go, not understanding what was going on. Why was the big, white dragon leaving?

    He was left alone to watch the black sky. He didn¡¯t know that he was the wrong color and shape. He was unable to comprehend why he was alone. But he was, and he was getting colder now.

    Suddenly, two creatures descended from the Rift towards the little dragonet.

    ¡°Oh yesss,¡± one of them hissed. ¡°A dragon. You will be of great ussssee to usss.¡±

 Chapter 1: Lonely

    Kira watched the other kits play in the forest. Hide and Seek was a fox¡¯s favorite game, partly because the hiders got to pounce on the seeker if they were found. But mostly because foxes loved to play clever games that showed off their wit and smarts.

    ¡°Ha!¡± one of them barked. ¡°Found you, Reiy!¡± Another fox pounced on the first from inside a bush, and they tumbled over each other, laughing. A grey wolf followed the second fox, giggling and joining the tussle.

    Kira¡¯s eyes narrowed. Grey wolves were some of the best companions to have. They were big, strong, and loyal¡ªthe perfect elements that most foxes were missing. The one Kira saw wasn¡¯t as big as normal, probably because it was just a cub at the moment. When it grew up, it would be a fearful opponent on the battlefield. Not that the kingdom of Cyalia had a battlefield.

    Kira sighed deeply through her nostrils, as if she could expel her emotions with every breath. She still didn¡¯t have a companion. She gazed up at the sky, hoping one of the dragons could come down and announce her lifelong partner¡ªa lion, perhaps. Then her pack would all gather around her and praise how wonderful she was, and how they were all wrong about her and what her future would be like.

    The white fox blinked and shook herself out of that daydream. She still remembered the day a few eclipses ago, when she was a younger kit. She had just turned six, the age where a kit could go out of the den on their own¡ªand also the age where almost all kits received their companions. Her mother and aunts had dressed her up, brushed her fur neatly, and even put flowers in her hair. She had sat excitedly in the field, wagging her tail happily and lolling her tongue out as she waited for her companion.

    But the hour never came.

    She waited for the whole day, hoping and praying to the dragons that her companion would come. Finally, at high moonlight, she had limped back to the den, her heart completely crushed. From then on, she was avoided by everyone in the village. She could her their whispers and mutters behind her back. No fox in history had gone without a companion for this long.

    Having a companion was essential in order to be successful in life. They fought with you, talked with you, and ensured that you were never alone. Animals were meant to be with one another.

    There were different animals all over, but each territory had a dominant one. For instance, Kira was in Aya, the Fox Lands. They were bordered by Beyda, the Lion Lands, Canay, the Wolf Lands, and Avaye, the Bird Lands. Sometimes, a fox would be chosen to be someone else''s companion and taken to a different part of Cyalia. Other animals were often brought in from other lands to be the companions of foxes. It was a fair trade that had gone back since the dawn of time.

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    Kira gazed back at the kits and their companions, playing with one another. It looked like fun, and her tail started wagging slightly.

    ¡°Hey,¡± she called, trotting over to the game. ¡°Can I join?¡±

    The other kits turned their heads to look at her.

    ¡°Umm...¡± They all gathered in a circle, whispering with one another. Kira waited under a tree, feeling impatient.

    One of them broke out of the group and looked at Kira. ¡°We don¡¯t have enough time to spare in order to find an extra person,¡± he said, not making eye contact. His ear twitched nervously, and he spoke hesitantly. He was lying, obviously.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you just play another game?¡± Kira asked. ¡°One that I can play with you?¡±

    The kit exchanged looks with his friends. ¡°We...we want to play Hide and Seek right now. Come back later, maybe.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡± Kira lifted her chin and stalked away haughtily, barely controlling her anger.

    ¡°Sorry!¡± one of them called, compassion in her voice. Her friend nudged her in the side reproachfully.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay.¡± Kira turned back to her. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to spend time with your ugly face anyway!¡±

    Her hurt expression gave Kira savage pleasure. They shunned her already. Why not get in a few licks?

    She walked away, not looking back. They were a waste of her time, she reassured herself. She''d never play with them.

    She walked purposefully towards her den, keeping her chin high and not making eye contact with anyone along the way. They were probably all sniffing disdainfully at her. Kira, the disgrace to the Fox Lands.

    ¡°Kira!¡± Her sister Ava tackled her at the entrance to their den, nipping her ear. Her older brother Evan joined in, growling and twisting.

    ¡°Mother!¡± Kira whined, trying to disentangle herself from the sibling pile. ¡°They¡¯re picking on me!¡±

    ¡°Stop picking on your sister,¡± Mother called from the ¡°adult¡± half of the den.

    The den was split into two halves: the ¡°kit¡± half, where Kira and her siblings stayed, and the ¡°adult¡± half, where Mother, Kira¡¯s aunts and uncles, and Father slept and talked, along with their companions. The halves were divided by a giant leaf that hung from the ceiling of the den.

    Ava sniffed disdainfully, stepping off of Kira¡¯s chest. ¡°Crybaby,¡± she whispered, smirking. Her companion, a mouse, scampered up on her shoulder and stuck his tongue out.

    ¡°Mother, Ava just called me crybaby!¡±

    ¡°Did not!¡±

    ¡°Did too!¡±

    ¡°Did not!¡±

    ¡°Did too!¡±

    ¡°Settle down and take a nap!¡± Mother snapped.

    Kira swiped at Ava¡¯s side, then ducked into her bed of torn leaves and feathers. Evan and Ava lay down next to her, kicking her aside to make room. Evan''s companion, an eagle, snickered from its perch in a corner of the den.

    Kira sighed and tried to close her eyes and shut out the kicks and shoves.

    They hated her. They all hated her.

 Chapter 2: At the Meal

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 Chapter 3: The Black Dragon

    Kira woke to the sound of screaming.

    At first, she was grateful to be conscious. She¡¯d just been having an unsettling dream about a talking chicken,

    But then she remembered why she was awake.

    Her ears pricked up, and she raised her head above the backs of her siblings. They were tense, and she could tell that they were awake as well. No sound of the night was low enough to escape a fox¡¯s notice.

    The wailing came again. It chilled Kira¡¯s blood to hear the sound of pure terror come from the mouth of a fox.

    She stood up slowly and walked to the den opening.

    The moon was high in the sky, the stars twinkling down from high above. But there was something in the air, a feeling that Kira couldn¡¯t quite place, but so thick she could almost smell it. Her fur stood on end, and she arched her back, twitching her whiskers.

    ¡°Kira!¡± Ava hissed, poking her head out as well. ¡°What--¡±

    Another scream pierced the air, only this time it was followed by a brilliant flash of light towards the trees. Kira flinched, then looked back in fright.

    ¡°The forest!¡± she screamed. ¡°It¡¯s on fire!¡±

    She sensed the pack start to stir under her uttered words. Kira stood at the doorstep of her home, frozen by the sight that greeted her sharp eyes.

    It was fire. But not like any fire Kira had ever seen before.

    Sometimes, during the festive holidays and important feasts related to the Dragons, the older foxes would lead the way to the Firepit, a circle of rocks deep in the forest. They used rocks to spark a fire, then tended it using wood and sticks. It was warm and gentle, providing light and shelter. It always left Kira feeling awed that something like that existed.

    This fire was different. It moved with haste, flames devouring anything in its path, licking greedily at the next victim before sweeping past in a blaze of heat and destruction. This fire was made to kill.

    More shouts and screams came from the Big Field.

    ¡°Move!¡± Kira¡¯s father exclaimed, shunting Kira aside. The other adults and their companions were on his tail. ¡°We must protect Aramon!¡±

    Kira ran after them, making sure to stay out of the way. Anything to escape the fire. She knew it would soon reach her den, but there was nothing any of them could do.

    The Big Field was a combat zone. Kira saw animals attacking one another bodies at their feet, blood on their claws, murder on their jaws.

    Tigers and cheetahs attacked lions and leopards. Hawks and vultures attacked falcons and eagles. Grizzlys and black bears attacked polar bears and pandas. Jackals and coyotes attacked foxes and wolves. Rats and moles attacked mice and rabbits. Lizards and caecilians attacked snakes and turtles.

    Each wave was another five lives lost.

    Each body was a victim of their teeth and claws.

    Where did all these animals come from? Kira wondered. She¡¯d certainly never seen any of them before. She only knew what they were because she¡¯d read about them in books. Fantasy books.

    She¡¯d once read that there was a large landmass not far from Cyalia, with many different animals that the Dragons had banished, deeming them untrustworthy. But it was always considered a fable. Was it actually real?

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    The smell of the different types of blood seemed to speak loudly enough, in Kira¡¯s opinion.

    More and more foxes were joining the fight, emerging from their dens on the hill, baring their teeth, and flashing their claws. They formed a protective circle around Aramon and his mate. Blue Jay was already dead, as had many of Aramon¡¯s children.

    Kira searched for her family among the crowd, but didn¡¯t like what she saw. Three of her five aunts had fallen, along with two of her uncles. Her father was nowhere to be found, along with her mother. Ava and Evan were missing as well. Kira dared not hope, but she couldn¡¯t help being relived. They might be alive.

    Suddenly, a roar pierced the fighting. A colossal black creatures emerged from the forest at the edge of the Big Field. He towered high above the trees, his long neck craned to capture everything in his bloodred gaze. Black wings that swallowed everything in a cold void spread behind him, folding neatly behind him. A long, thick tail swept into view, stabbing foxes with its sharp point of squeezing them to death. Fangs sharper than a vipers dominated his mouth, showing when he grinned maliciously at the bloodbath before him.

    A dragon.

    Have they sided against us? Kira thought frantically. Are they condemning us? Sending this Dragon to bring us to our demise because we insulted them somehow?

    No. Dragons didn¡¯t destroy.

    At yet, here was a Dragon, masterminding the carnage of one of the largest packs in the Fox Lands.

    He threw back his head (which was pitch black except for some oddly white scales) and roared again, a sound that reverberated across the territory and made Kira want to crawl into the burning trees and disappear forever. The fear in her heart sent blood rushing to the tip of her tail.

    The Dragon snaked his head forwards and plucked Aramon off of the Field with his jaws. The sound of bones crunching broadcasted all around. Blood dribbled down the Dragon¡¯s throat, and he opened his mouth to reveal the gore inside to every fox before tipping his head back and swallowing. He licked his lips with a forked tongue, grinning again with bloodstained teeth.

    There was stunned silence in the field. Then the dragon began picking off more victims, crunching their bones in his mouth with delight before devouring them. It was then that the members of the pack realized their mistake: they had run straight into a slaughter.

    The chaos of the battle returned more vigorously, the growls and shrieks reaching higher volume. Kira found herself amidst it all, tumbling and running to and fro from each death.

    Blood was everywhere. The screams of the dying , the limbs and bones scattered and flying everywhere, the smell of death, it all hit Kira loke a raging volley of rocks upon her head. It was too much, the blank stares of her comrades and the bloodstained grass, grass that they would never walk on ever again.

    And yet it all continued.

    Kira¡¯s breath quickened her eyes darted back and forth, looking for something, anything besides the squelching of insides under her feet and the roaring of the black Dragon. But it filled her mind and brain. Who was she again? Where was she? Was there something she was doing?

    ¡°Kira!¡± A familiar voice shook Kira from her panic. A white fox bounded towards her.

    ¡°M-m-mother?¡± Kira whimpered.

    ¡°Kira, listen.¡± Mother put her face against Kira¡¯s, eye to eye, nose to nose. ¡°You have to go.¡±

    ¡°W-w-what?¡± Kira¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°No! I c-c-can''t leave you!¡±

    ¡°There is nothing you can do,¡± Mother said simply. ¡°There is nothing any of us can do. We weren¡¯t expecting this, and now our leader has fallen. It is only a moment until we all die.¡±

    ¡°But what will I do?¡± Kira cried desperately.

    ¡°You must find¡ª¡± A coyote lunged at them, and Mother swiped her claws at it, smashing it to the ground. She stomped on his throat, and it stilled.

    ¡°You must find the Dragons,¡± Mother said, panting. ¡°Only they will be able to stop this. Find them, Kira.¡±

    ¡°What about Father? And Ava, and Evan¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ava and Evan are dead,¡± Mother said matter-of-factly. ¡°I will fight with your father, but we won¡¯t make it.¡±

    ¡°But--¡±

    ¡°GO! You have to find them!¡± Mother ran back into the crowd.

    Kira momentarily stood there, stunned and stricken by grief. It felt like someone was stabbing her heart, over and over again, waiting for her to break.

    How was she supposed to convince the Dragons to help them, let alone find them? She was just a lowly fox.

    But her mother had told her to. And her mother was about to die.

    Kira couldn¡¯t let that sacrifice be in vain.

    She ran up the hill from the field, towards where the dens were burning. The pack¡¯s territory consisted of two major parts: the hill and the Big Field. The hill held the many dens of the foxes, either dug into the ground or built up using mud and sticks. The Big Field held the Healer¡¯s Hut, the Nursery, and the Meeting Cave, where the Gatherers and the alphas held meetings and lessons.

    Kira stopped when she reached the edge of the fire. It had consumed half of the dens, and was slowing down. It had come from the west side, towards the ocean. The east side lay untouched. She ducked under the safety of the trees, letting their shadows brush her fur like a comforting paw. Kira paused for a moment, looking back at her home, covered in blood and flames.

    Then she turned and ran.

 Chapter 4: Why Are You Crying?

    It was dawn when Kira collapsed.

    She lay there helplessly, her sides heaving, her tongue lolling out of her mouth. She needed water, but she was too exhausted to do anything. She would need food soon as well.

    Kira closed her eyes. Then, harnessing her energy like the slowpoke it was, she raised to her feet. She sniffed the air, smelling the different scents. There were some berries not too far away. She could make it.

    She stumbled along, tripping over her own tail, trying to shake the flashes of blood and screaming out of her skull. Why had she been able to escape, but everyone else was left to die? Was there something special about her, or was she just lucky?

    Kira finally found the berry bush, and sat down heavily on her haunches, devouring every bit of food she could find. She was so delirious, she could barely find the individual bits of fruit.

    When she was finally full, she lifted her ears, trying to hear if there was any running water nearby. She thought she heard the faintest trickle, far above her. She looked up, and was surprised to see that she was on the side of a mountain. She must have crawled into the valley, then gone up. According to her senses, the water should be located near the top of the mountain.

    Kira sighed, then started her trek upwards. The food had cleared her mind a bit, and given her some energy, but she was still drained. Her paws ached, but only half as much as her heart.

    It took hours. The sun was high up, almost at its peak, when Kira reached her destination. A spring of water, cold and clear. She flopped down on the bank and lapped up the water half-heartedly. Then she closed her eyes, drifting off to the nightmares that awaited her. But she could avoid them no longer.

    *************

    It was night again when Kira finally woke, breathing heavily from the panic of nightmares. She¡¯d expected them, of course, but it was still frightening. Her mind was fuzzy for a moment. Why was she on top of a mountain?

    Then it all came tumbling down, back into her mind. The screams. The black Dragon. Her mother, telling her to find the Dragons. An impossible quest.

    Kira sobbed. She couldn¡¯t help it. Yesterday, she¡¯d been too shocked to shed tears, and too focused on getting away. But now she remembered her family, doomed to die at a Dragon¡¯s jaws.

    She needed somewhere to grieve.

    Kira crawled to her feet and saw a promising ledge, overlooking the whole valley. She sat down, letting her sides heave. Her tears would water the ground.

    She didn¡¯t know how long she sat there, crying, feeling the stroke of moonlight across her fur, which was dirty and covered in pine needles and leaves.

    ¡°Why are you crying?¡± a voice asked suddenly. It was gentle, with a comforting tone full of compassion and emotion.

    Kira whipped around, pinning her ears back. She scanned the trees behind her.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± the voice said again. ¡°I won¡¯t hurt you.¡±

    A white creature emerged into her vision, and Kira gasped.

    It was the most beautiful creature she¡¯d ever seen.

    Her eyes were the most startling part about her. They were a thousand different colors, mostly blue, but specks of green and gold shimmered and flickered in and out of them. Directly below them were markings of teal and magenta, outlined thinly with gold. An elegantly curved snout was set slightly below and in between her eyes. Horns, many of them, came out behind her ears and as an extension of her forehead, glimmering gold and pearly white. Her neck curved gently up from her chest, backed by spines that somehow didn¡¯t seem at all threatening¡ªjust part of her beauty. Her underbelly was lined with blue and teal.

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    Her claws didn¡¯t seem threatening, either. They were sharp, of course (and very large, about the length of Kira¡¯s arm), but they were just necessary, not a weapon. Her wings were tucked behind her back, but Kira could see many shades of magenta and royal blue, combined with speckles of gold and dots of teal. Her back was lined with large white spikes, and it arched gently into a tail that stretched behind her, curving gently at the tip.

    ¡°Wh...who are you?¡± Kira whimpered, tail tucked between her legs. This Dragon may look beautiful and harmless, but after her last encounter with Dragons, she figured that she should be careful.

    ¡°I¡¯m Deya.¡± The white Dragon walked closer, making her moves slow. She dipped her head to Kira¡¯s level, tilting it curiously. ¡°Why are you so sad?¡±

    Kira swallowed another wave of sobs, crouching low. ¡°M-m-my family was killed.¡±

    ¡°Oh no,¡± Deya¡¯s eyes filled with sadness and care. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

    Kira nodded, and then burst into tears.

    Deya extended her wing to Kira and pulled her into an embrace, curling her tail around Kira protectively.

    It was comforting. Kira had never embraced any of her family members, and the feelings expressed through such a simple motion caused her to cry even more. Here was a shoulder she could lean on, an entity she could trust. She felt it with every sob.

    ¡°Shhh,¡± Deya soothed, ducking her head sadly. She blinked, and tears rolled down her cheeks, dropping onto Kira. Feelings of comfort coursed through her, and the little white fox relaxed. A new, peaceful energy filled her heart now, replacing the raw pain she had felt before. She felt the power coursing through her body, and opened her eyes to see bright light outlining her body.

    ¡°Whoa,¡± she breathed. She lifted her paws and saw that they were magenta up to her forearms, with teal, gold and royal blue markings. Deya slowly lifted her embrace, and when Kira stood, she felt something soft on her back. She tried to crane her neck, but couldn¡¯t see it.

    Deya chuckled, looking surprised and amused. ¡°You have wings.¡±

    ¡°I do?¡± Kira turned in circles, trying to see.

    ¡°Yes. Beautiful, feathered wings.¡±

    Kira stopped her searching to gaze up at Deya. ¡°Thank you, great Dragon.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just Deya.¡± Deya smiled, and Kira found herself grinning as well.

    ¡°How...?¡± Kira flexed her wings opened and closed, trying to get used to having them.

    ¡°Dragon tears,¡± Deya answered to her question. ¡°They have magical properties¡ªfrom cleansing to gifting powers.¡±

    ¡°What type of Dragon are you?¡± Kira asked, her tail wagging. She stared at the kind soul, feeling a sort of bond between them, a friendship that went beyond the fact that this Dragon had offered her condolences to her grief.

    ¡°I am a Light Dragon,¡± Deya answered softly, sitting down and letting her tail curl around her talons.

    ¡°Really?¡± Kira looked at Deya with adoration. ¡°Can you...can you show me?¡±

    Deya smiled again. ¡°Absolutely.¡±

    She swept one wing in an arch towards the stars in the sky, and a gentle glow of color began to form. It rippled and twisted, a shimmering rainbow of colors that spiraled downwards, around Kira and Deya, and then flew up into the sky, weaving back and forth softly.

    ¡°Wow,¡± Kira breathed.

    ¡°May I ask what you are doing here, in the outskirts of the Fox Lands?¡± Deya asked gently. Kira felt the sadness return, and a few small tears slipped through her lids.

    ¡°Last night,¡± she started, trying not to let her voice break, ¡°my pack was attacked. An army of rogue, new creatures invaded our lands¡ªcreatures I had never seen before. They were led by a great black Dragon, one who set fire to the forest and wreaked havoc upon all of my fellow foxes and their companions, destroying every last one. I alone escaped, and my mother told me to find the Dragons and tell them what had happened, to convince them to help. She said,¡± Kira choked back another sob, ¡°she said that she was already doomed, and that the others were, too.¡±

    Deya was silent for a moment, studying Kira, then her talons, then the moon on the horizon.

    Kira looked imploringly at her, tears flowing from her eyes.

    Then Deya began to sing.

    Kira gaped. The sound was ethereal, an otherworldly sound. There were no words, but that didn¡¯t matter¡ªthere didn¡¯t need to be. It was all emotions, put into notes and on a tune that made her want to stay there forever. The notes rose and fell, echoing into the night. All noise around them stopped¡ªno crickets, no frogs, no birds chirping. Even the wind stilled, as if everything was listening. It was music.

    Deya finally closed her mouth. ¡°I will join you.¡±

    Kira had no words. She merely nodded.

    ¡°Come on,¡± Deya said gently. She nudged Kira with the tip of tail. ¡°Let¡¯s go save Cyalia.¡±

 Chapter 5: Out of the Blue

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 Chapter 6: Lies, Confessions, and Plans

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 Chapter 7: The Wolves of the Moon Dragon Palace

    Kira watched the moon rise, wondering if somewhere out there a tribe of Dragons was making it happen. What would they think of her, a lowly fox? Would they cast er out of their presence, or would they welcome her with open arms, as the stories said they would?

    Kira¡¯s heart ached for her mother¡¯s voice, telling the stories with gestures of her paws and sometimes imitating the voices of the Dragons. She longed for the embrace of her mother¡¯s fur, for the feeling of her tail wrapped around Kira.

    But when Kira reached out, she was met with cold emptiness. There was nothing there. There never would be. She was gone. They were all gone, and Kira could do nothing about it.

    These thoughts kept her awake tonight, two nights after she had met Deya. They were in the Cliffs of Caution, the mountain range that bordered the Wolf Lands and the Bird Lands. Deya insisted that they were getting close, but Kira had her doubts. Especially since Deya wouldn¡¯t tell her what to look for as their destination.

    The more north they went, the colder it got. Kira was used to some level of low temperatures, but up in the mountains it felt like her own fur was freezing on her body. Her breath showed clearly in the air, and when she inhaled, sharp cold punctuated her throat, taking her oxygen away.

    Deya breathed deeply beside Kira, her large body rising and falling, her body providing some warmth for the little fox. Kira tried to match her breathing with the Dragon¡¯s, and eventually her eyes started to droop. Maybe if she closed them for a second....

    <hr>

    The sun touched Kira¡¯s eyelids, and they fluttered open. The summit of the mountain they were resting was covered in snow, which sparkled with the sun, revealing the individual flakes resting in them. In the distance, glaciers glistened in between several mountains.

    Deya dropped from out of the sky onto the summit, startling Kira into standing up. The Dragon carried a few fish and some squirrel.

    ¡°Morning, Kira!¡± Deya sang. ¡°I got some breakfast!¡±

    ¡°Morning,¡± Kira grunted. She took the fish in her paws and started chowing down. She had learned that flying took a lot of energy, so she ate as much as she could when she could.

    ¡°We¡¯re close,¡± Deya started, looking as eager as Kira had ever seen her.

    ¡°You still haven¡¯t told me what I¡¯m supposed to be looking for,¡± Kira complained, swallowing another bite of fish.

    ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± Deya¡¯s eyes shone in the early morning sunlight.

    Kira sighed through her nostrils. ¡°Let¡¯s just get going.¡±

    Deya nodded, smiling, and then leapt off the mountain. Kira followed, relishing the rush of adrenaline filling her veins as her paws left the ground.

    <hr>

    It was around midday when Kira saw it.

    At first, all she saw was the glacier. It was huge, stretching about two miles from one mountain top to the other. Kira watched it pass below her paws, marveling at the white and blue pattern engraved in the ice.

    Then she saw the lake.

    Her first impression was of a glass desert. It filled the valley, perfectly reflecting the mountains and sky. Not a ripple disturbed the surface of the water; even the river that flowed to it from the glacier slowed down as it entered the lake.

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    Deya landed on the brim, making the first tracks in the snow as far as Kira could see. Kira followed suit, marveling how tiny her prints were compared to Deya¡¯s.

    ¡°So where now?¡± Kira asked, never one to delay for long.

    Deya walked over to the edge of the lake, staring into her reflection. ¡°We go into the lake, I think.¡±

    ¡°You think?¡± Kira repeated.

    ¡°I¡¯ve...never actually been to the Moon Dragon kingdom,¡± Deya confessed. ¡°They usually visited us.¡±

    Kira snorted. ¡°You mean you led us here without any plan on how we¡¯ll get in?¡±

    ¡°Well, it should be obvious,¡± Deya said hesitantly.

    ¡°Yes?¡± Kira raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°We, um, walk right in.¡±

    Kira rolled her eyes. ¡°Like that ever works. We just walk right into a Dragon Palace, no invitation, no announcement, and demand that they help us?¡±

    Deya sighed. ¡°You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t know what I was thinking.¡±

    ¡°Surely not,¡± another voice said sarcastically from behind them. ¡°A Dragon admitting its mistakes? I don¡¯t believe my ears.¡±

    Kira whipped around, wings raised and teeth bared. Deya merely turned her head to the side to eye their new visitor. Or visitors, it appeared.

    Twelve wolves were approaching them through the snow. Their coats glowed silvery blue, with white speckles and streaks that looked like snowflakes. Each of them had a slightly different pattern, some with a blue grey instead of silver, but it was clear who their leader was¡ªhis eyes glowed silver, constantly changing shades and sparkling even without light.

    ¡°Hello, visitors,¡± the lead wolf said. He reminded Kira of Aramon, though much more authoritative, and he was much bigger and more muscular. ¡°What brings you to our humble home?¡±

    His tone suggested that they had no option about answering.

    ¡°We want to get to the Moon Dragon Palace,¡± Kira announced.

    ¡°I like her,¡± one of the wolves said, her voice betraying that she was female. ¡°Straightforward. No dawdling. Cute, too.¡±

    ¡°Can you please help us?¡± Deya pleaded.

    ¡°What makes you think we should help you?¡±

    ¡°We have some information that¡ª¡± Deya began.

    ¡°Ta ta ta!¡± another wolf interrupted, wagging his claw at them. ¡°None of that nonsense. We¡¯ve heard it a million times.¡±

    ¡°Remember that other guy?¡± a wolf said, addressing the other wolves. ¡°A lion, I believe. ¡®But, lowly wolves, I have a mission of the utmost importance, surely greater than you, I believe. I must have an audience with the Dragons of Greatness below this lake.¡¯ Dragons¡¯ horns, he was so annoying.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not like that,¡± Kira protested. ¡°We actually have useful information that the entire continent of Cyalia has to know. A Dragon has gone rogue!¡±

    That made the wolves pause. ¡°A Dragon, you say?¡±

    Kira nodded. ¡°Big. Black. Red eyes, bloodstained claws and teeth. Destroying everything in its path, including my own village.¡±

    ¡°Black?¡± one wolf said in disbelief. ¡°Dragons aren¡¯t black.¡±

    ¡°This one was,¡± Kira argued. ¡°And we don¡¯t know where he¡¯ll go next. So let us through.¡±

    All the wolves turned to the alpha.

    ¡°Miguel?¡± one of them asked. ¡°What say you?¡±

    ¡°If this is true,¡± Miguel mused, ¡°then we must let them get an audience with the Queen. My apologies, Dragon, and you, fox. It is our job to guard the Moon Dragon Palace, see, and we have to be skeptical.¡±

    ¡°Apology accepted,¡± Deya said formally.

    ¡°Now how do we get in?¡± Kira asked, impatient.

    Miguel grinned, his snow white teeth flashing in the sunlight. ¡°Let us show you.¡±

    The wolves gathered in a semicircle on the brim of the lake, and Miguel breathed on the water. Immediately, a portion of it froze, growing longer and longer until it reached the middle of the lake. Once there, a chunk of ice rose from the lake, and if Kira squinted, she could see a swirling vortex on the ice chunk, black with sparkles like the night sky. Somehow, all of this happened without causing a single ripple across the lake.

    ¡°Go on,¡± Miguel said. He gestured at the vortex.

    ¡°That¡¯s how we get there?¡± Kira said incredulously. ¡°A vortex?¡±

    ¡°A portal, actually,¡± Deya corrected.

    Kira frowned at her. ¡°Fine. A portal. We just walk into it?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Miguel confirmed.

    Deya went first, slowly stepping onto the ice as if afraid it wouldn¡¯t hold her weight. When it did, she walked across towards the vortex, Kira bounding after her.

    Kira looked over her shoulder and saw the wolves barking their goodbyes. Then they each turned and walked back across the snow, Miguel being the last. Kira swore she could have seen him wink all the way across the lake, but then he turned and disappeared into a flurry of snowflakes.

 Chapter 8: Moon Dragon Palace

    Kira stepped through the vortex, watching the white sparkles orbit around her. They made her dizzy, and soon nostalgia overtook her. She stumbled, the portal spinning around her and her eyes swirling. It was like a dance, both of them swirling and turning together as one.

    Then, the feeling of nausea ended, and Kira found herself standing in a grand hall of an obsidian palace.

    It was breathtaking. Slender archways leading to ornate rooms of black glass and sparkling onyx dominated her view. Along the walls were silver markings that seemed to show a story¡ªone Kira knew well. It was the story of the Moon Dragons, and how they moved the Moon every night, and blessed Cyalia with sleep and rest. She saw images of Dragons perched above animals, watching over them like guardians.

    ¡°Welcome!¡± a voice greeted them, coming from the archway in front of Kira. She and Deya made their way through, and Kira realized they were in a throne room. Doors closed shut behind them, and Kira was startled¡ªshe hadn¡¯t even realized they were there.

    There weren¡¯t very many decorations here, which kind of surprised Kira. A giant, silver Dragon dominated the room, sitting on top of a throne of lapis lazuli. She was extremely elegant, from the curve of her wings to the spiraling of her horns. She sat erected regally, with a silver and diamond crown on top of her head. Her mouth was curved upwards slightly, as if amused at something. Around her eyes were white markings that looked exactly like Deya¡¯s, just without the gold surrounding them.

    ¡°Deya?¡± the Dragon gasped. ¡°Is that really you?¡±

    ¡°Aunt Eclipse!¡± Deya cried. ¡°It¡¯s so good to see you!¡±

    Queen Eclipse opened her wings, and Deya ran to her in an embrace.

    ¡°Wait, wh-what?¡± Kira asked, puzzled. ¡°Um, what¡¯s going on? Can someone please explain this to me?¡±

    ¡°Eclipse is my aunt,¡± Deya said. ¡°She had nothing to do with my banishment.¡±

    ¡°That was my stupid brother,¡± Eclipse said, gritting her teeth. ¡°Terxan. Out of all of us, he was the last I expected to crack. I thought it would be Vex.¡±

    ¡°Vex is the King of the Dragons of the Sun,¡± Deya explained. ¡°Aunt Eclipse¡¯s twin brother.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re all related?¡± Kira asked.

    ¡°All of the royals,¡± Queen Eclipse sighed. ¡°Most of us don¡¯t get along very well. Especially Tempest, Vex¡¯s puppet, leader of the Dragons of the Clouds. They¡¯re basically Vex¡¯s elite assassin team.¡±

    ¡°What about the Dragons of the Sea?¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡± Queen Eclipse looked pleased. ¡°They are led by my son, Riley. I¡¯m glad to see that he made a name for himself.¡±

    ¡°How is Cousin Riley doing?¡± Deya asked.

    ¡°He is well, as far as I know,¡± Queen Eclipse responded. ¡°But we are straying from an important topic: why are you here? If your father found out, Deya¡­¡±

    Deya sighed. ¡°I know. We¡¯re here for something more urgent than my banishment.¡±

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    ¡°There¡¯s a Dragon flying around and killing everybody,¡± Kira deadpanned.

    Queen Eclipse¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°A Dragon is killing everybody?¡±

    ¡°Yep,¡± Kira said. ¡°A black Dragon.¡±

    If possible, Queen Eclipse looked even more shocked. ¡°Black?¡±

    ¡°I saw him with my own eyes.¡± Kira flicked her ears. Would Queen Eclipse believe her?

    ¡°He was also commandeering the forces of the Myth Continent,¡± Deya added.

    ¡°The Myth Continent, you say?¡± Queen Eclipse looked thoughtful. ¡°I knew we should have destroyed those untrustworthy animals.¡±

    ¡°Those stories are true, also?¡± Kira asked.

    ¡°Most of them,¡± Queen Eclipse responded. ¡°Vex exaggerated a lot of them, so it¡¯s hard to tell.¡±

    ¡°That was him?¡± Kira growled.

    Queen Eclipse nodded. ¡°He was convinced that Dragons were better than the other beasts, and deserved more glory. He came up with many of the stories, or altered others, and soon they became known as fact in Cyalia.¡±

    ¡°The other Dragons didn¡¯t object?¡± Deya asked. Kira looked over at her, and saw that she was genuinely angry.

    ¡°No.¡± The queen shook her crowned head. ¡°In fact, I am sorry to say this, but your father was right by his side, Deya.¡±

    ¡°I knew it,¡± the white Dragon growled. ¡°He always had a knack for manipulating other creatures.¡±

    Queen Eclipse looked mournful. ¡°I fear you are correct.¡±

    ¡°So are Dragons immortal?¡± Kira asked, curious.

    Queen Eclipse tilted her head. ¡°Immortal is a strong word. I think we remain in this world for as long as our powers and kingdoms are needed. Every Dragon has a purpose in life. We live until that purpose is filled, and then we die.¡±

    ¡°How do you know what that purpose is?¡± Kira interrogated. She wanted as many answers as possible.

    ¡°Our purpose is whatever we are pulled to the most. If your purpose is to help others, you will be very outgoing and kind. If you purpose is to, say, grant others joy, you might be a jokester and a great companion with a sense of humor. It all depends on the Dragon. Some of them have great destinies, others have small missions.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your purpose?¡±

    ¡°To govern my kingdom,¡± the queen answered. ¡°Which is, in part, why I have lived for so long.¡±

    ¡°But what about Dragons like Deya¡¯s father?¡±

    ¡°Conversation aside,¡± Queen Eclipse redirected abruptly, ¡°what do you plan to do about this Dragon?¡±

    ¡°We need to rally the other Dragons,¡± Deya said, glad for the subject change. Kira felt indignant. She still had so many questions! But this was more serious, so she didn¡¯t raise any protests. ¡°We also need to congregate the kingdoms of Cyalia as well. Then we attack.¡±

    Queen Eclipse sighed. ¡°Deya, do you suppose you can unite all of the Dragons against this ally? We aren¡¯t known for our cooperation with one another.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Deya said. ¡°But we have to try.¡±

    ¡°What about¡ª¡± Kira began.

    Suddenly, the doors to the throne room burst open. A Dragon guard¡ªbigger than Deya but smaller than Queen Eclipse¡ªstaggered in, out of breath and looking very ruffled.

    ¡°I thought I delivered strict orders to be left alone,¡± Queen Eclipse snapped.

    ¡°I¡¯m s-s-sorry, Your M-m-majesty,¡± the guard stammered. ¡°But we¡¯re under attack.¡±

    Queen Eclipse¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°By whom?¡±

    ¡°A bunch of weird animals, Your Majesty,¡± the guard said. ¡°Like these weird white bears, and a bunch of different predatory birds. I¡¯ve never seen anything like them before.¡±

    Queen Eclipse cursed. ¡°The Myth tribes.¡±

    ¡°He must have followed me,¡± Kira realized. ¡°I¡¯m so stupid! He has followers everywhere. He could have been spying on us at any moment.¡±

    ¡°No matter.¡± The silver dragon arose from her throne. ¡°Deya, Kira, you both must leave. Warn everyone you can. I will do my best on the Dragons¡¯ part, but I can¡¯t do it all.¡±

    ¡°No, Auntie!¡± Deya protested. ¡°What if he kills you?¡±

    Queen Eclipse smiled grimly. ¡°You forget a few facts, dearest Deya. He¡¯s only one Dragon. We have an army.¡±

    And with that, she turned and flew out of the archway, leaving a very sad Dragon and an angry fox.

 Chapter 9: Thunder and Lightning

    Deya and Kira were forced to navigate through the passages of the palace, trying to find a door outside. Finally, Kira gave up and flew out of a window, which was fortunately big enough for Deya to fit through as well.

    They emerged out into a raging storm, with wind gusts that practically threw Kira into the sky, pushing and pulling her in a dangerous spiral. The wind whistled angrily, throwing rain and lightning at the two flyers. It was all Kira could do to stay next to Deya, though admittedly her wings did a lot of the work.

    ¡°Where are we?¡± Kira shouted, the wind stealing her voice.

    Somehow, the message reached Deya. ¡°I think we¡¯re just off the coast of the Wolf Lands!¡± It was faint in Kira¡¯s ears.

    ¡°So where to next?¡± Kira yelled, struggling in the wind. Cold rain stung her eyes, and it was hard to see in the cloud cover.

    ¡°We should¡ª¡± Deya¡¯s voice was cut off as something rammed into her, driving her to the ground.

    ¡°Deya!¡± Kira shrieked, folding her wings and plummeting after the falling Dragon. Something grey and purple was on top of her, and Kira thought she glimpsed a wing. Another Dragon, perhaps?

    Whatever it was, if it didn¡¯t get off Deya, it would face Kira¡¯s wrath.

    The thing on top of Deya kicked her chest, and right before she fell, Kira saw a rocky spike jutting out of the fog. Deya was falling right towards it.

    The little fox screamed, and everything went white.

    Kira woke when she was thrown on a cold, hard floor.

    Her limbs were stiff, and her eyes hurt. Her head was throbbing. The last thing she remembered¡­Images flitted past her in her mind. Deya. Something about the white Dragon.

    Then, it came to her clearly. Deya falling. A rock spike, pointed towards her. A burst of white light.

    She gasped and leaped to her feet.

    ¡°Oh look,¡± a snide voice said. ¡°The little weakling is awake.¡±

    Kira lashed her tail, not even comprehending her surroundings before replying. ¡°I wasn¡¯t so weak when you were hiding from me in the clouds. Scared?¡±

    There was a loud growl, and Kira turned around to see two Dragons. One sat on a throne, looking amused, and the other looked furious.

    ¡°You¡ªyou little¡ª¡± the furious Dragon lunged for her, snarling and baring his fangs, but the other one¡ªlightning fast¡ªgrabbed ahold of his grey tail and pulled him short with ease.

    ¡°Now now,¡± he chided. ¡°We can¡¯t be treating out guests that way, Druk.¡±

    Druk growled, struggling. ¡°Let me tear her to pieces!¡±

    ¡°No,¡± the other Dragon said firmly, giving his tail a firm tug until Druk crept back to his master¡¯s side.

    Kira smirked. ¡°Poor, poor wittle Druk,¡± she taunted in a baby voice. ¡°Even his master knows how weak he is! Go snivel in the corner.¡±

    Druk swelled with indignation, energy running across his scales. He roared, then ran towards her, blinded by rage. His claws reached towards her, but Kira managed to keep the smile on her face.

    ¡°STOP!¡± the Dragon on the throne shouted. A thunderclap echoed in the chamber they were in, and a bright flash illuminated them all. He reared and spread his wings, landing in front of Druk, who cowered at his feet.

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    ¡°Master, I-I¡ª¡± Druk stammered. His rage now quenched, he looked terrified. Kira¡¯s spirits soared.

    ¡°Enough,¡± the Dragon said with authority. ¡°Druk¡ªleave, now. I will speak to you later about your unacceptable behavior.¡±

    ¡°Y-y-yes, my lord,¡± Druk said, then bolted out of the double doors on the other side of the room. Kira¡¯s eyes followed him, narrowing.

    It appeared that she was in another throne room. This one was more lively than the Moon Dragons¡¯, she had to admit, though it disgusted her. Treasure was piled in random places, glittering and sparkling in the sunlight. Tapestries decorated the walls, portraying the heavily exaggerated stories of Dragon history, which made Kira¡¯s gut clench with anger. The ceiling was painted with designs of clouds, with occasional purple streaks shining through them. Windows all around the room opened to the air, sunshine streaking through them and lighting the room. Wispy clouds floated by, seeming to circle¡­wherever they were.

    ¡°Well.¡± The strange Dragon returned to his throne, his expression mellowing into a mischievous face as he looked at Kira. ¡°Where were we? Oh, yes. You, cowering beneath my feet, asking for my mercy to¡ª¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± Kira interrupted. ¡°I don¡¯t need your permission for anything. Where am I?¡±

    ¡°In my palace, of course,¡± the Dragon answered. Despite the fact that Kira had interrupted her, he still had an expression of glee on his face.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± The Dragon looked surprised. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you? I¡¯m Tempest. King of the Dragons of the Clouds, leader of the Army of Storms, summoner of lightning and thunder, et cetera, et cetera.¡±

    Kira rolled her eyes. ¡°Whatever. And you captured me because¡­.?¡±

    ¡°Oh, it wasn¡¯t you I was after.¡± Tempest laughed. ¡°That Dragon you were traveling with¡ªshe was the target. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re not important at all.¡±

    Not important at all. The words rang in Kira¡¯s head. No, she thought. I¡¯ve made a mistake.

    ¡°Where is she!¡± Kira demanded. ¡°Where is Deya?¡±

    ¡°How cute,¡± Tempest purred. His tail tip flicked Kira¡¯s chin. ¡°The little fox is trying to rescue the Dragon. Tell me, what do you plan to do about it?¡±

    ¡°Tell me.¡± Kira was in no mood for Tempest.

    ¡°She¡¯s at our finest prison,¡± Tempest responded, obviously enjoying her anger. He leaned in close to Kira¡¯s face, grinning wickedly. ¡°You¡¯ll never find her.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Kira asked. ¡°Why take her? We¡¯re trying to save Cyalia!¡±

    ¡°Hmm. How honorable.¡± Tempest examined his claws. ¡°You see, some of us¡ªthe higher ups, of course¡ªdon¡¯t think Cyalia needs saving.¡±

    Kira was shocked. ¡°You mean you would let all of those innocent creatures die?¡±

    Tempest shrugged. ¡°They would repopulate eventually. We might even intervene if it became threatening.¡±

    Kira seethed. ¡°My whole pack died. Is that not threatening?¡±

    ¡°Mmm, nope.¡± Tempest flashed his teeth at her. Kira growled.

    ¡°Why are you keeping me here, then?¡± she challenged.

    ¡°Because you have a secret that I want,¡± Tempest said. ¡°Deya¡¯s powers. How did you get them?¡±

    Kira was taken aback. She glared at the gray-purple Dragon sitting on the throne in front of her. ¡°Why do you want to know?¡±

    ¡°Her abilities are¡­rather unique,¡± Tempest responded. ¡°Normal Light Dragons can just summon a few rainbows and nice tunes. But Deya is different. All of nature reacts to her. When she sings, it¡¯s mesmerizing. She can control a little lightning, and a few other little tidbits. You have inherited them, and I want to know how.¡±

    Kira thought for a moment. Telling Tempest how she got Deya¡¯s powers would be leaving Deya in the dust. Shutting her mouth would be suicide.

    ¡°Tell you what, Tempest,¡± she said. ¡°If I vow to tell you the secret, will you swear to send your Dragon armies to help me and Deya defeat the Black Dragon?¡±

    Tempest laughed. ¡°A deal with you, little fox?¡±

    Kira smiled toothily.

    Tempest grinned at her. ¡°You got me.¡± He clapped his wings together, creating a clap of thunder that pealed through the room. Not more than two seconds later, a smaller Dragon cracked open one of the twin doors, peering in hesitantly.

    ¡°Ah, Aella!¡± Tempest said. ¡°Send out a decree that the army is to start battle training for fighting other Dragons immediately. Tell them that they need to practice their counterattacks to magic.¡±

    Aella dipped her head obediently. ¡°Yes, sire.¡±

    The door closed behind her.

    ¡°Now¡­¡± Tempest rubbed his talons together and looked greedily at Kira. ¡°What about that secret?¡±

    ¡°For the record, I didn¡¯t say when.¡± Kira smirked.

    For a moment, Tempest was stunned. Then he began laughing.

    ¡°I am very angry with you right now!¡± Tempest said in between laughs.

    Holy Night of Darkness, Kira cursed. It was obvious now; Tempest was insane. He would soon be upon her if she didn¡¯t escape right now.

    But what about Deya?

    Kira glanced out of the closest window, then looked back at Tempest. Lightning was gathering all around him, twirling and flashing into a cyclone.

    The little fox bit her lip.

    Then she spread her wings and flew out of the nearest window, listening to Tempest¡¯s angry roars filling the air behind her.

 Chapter 10: Secrets and Searches

    Kira didn¡¯t know when she had started crying.

    She was lost, flying over mountains and valleys, rivers and lakes. She¡¯d left the tundra well behind, and had no idea when she¡¯d crossed the Nexus. The palace of the Dragons of the Clouds was well hidden next to the Moon Dragon palace, surrounded by fog and storms.

    Tears began running down her cheeks, falling down far, far below. Kira spread her feathers wide, gliding over the landscape, and yelled into the wind.

    She had no idea where Deya was, the king of the Dragons of the Clouds was after her, and a Black Dragon was threatening the safety of Cyalia. Not to mention that Kira was totally lost.

    The fox flapped her wings angrily. The wind began buffeting her with fury, forcing her to fly closer and close to the ground. Kira¡¯s wings angled upwards to slow down.

    Suddenly, a wall of heat slammed into Kira, sending her to the ground. She hit the dirt with an oomph, and staggered to her feet, trying to regain her balance.

    Then she heard the wailing.

    At first, Kira thought she was back in her village. The fire. The blood. Death, death, everywhere. Flashing claws and teeth. Her heart pumped, and her head swam. Visions of her mother flickered in and out of her sight, her voice faint. ¡°Find them.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t, Mother!¡± Kira cried. ¡°I lost her!¡± She reached a paw out to Mother, but then she realized that she was alone. Tears blurred her vision, and the screams grew louder. More flashes of blood and fire filled her head.

    The screams got louder, and through the noise in her head, Kira somehow realized that they were getting closer.

    But so were the flames. It was just like at Kira¡¯s home, where the fire roared and devoured. They leapt from one tree to another, swallowing it up in a blaze.

    And then it reached her.

    She thought it would hurt, but it was beyond that. Heat pounded over her, rushing and overwhelming her senses. She screamed, flaring her wings in the fire, knowing any second they would curl into ashes, and she would be gone. But it hadn¡¯t happened yet¡ªpossibly because of her power, but Kira didn¡¯t know. All she could feel was pain and fire. She reared on her back paws and screamed again.

    ¡°Hey!¡± A voice suddenly shouted, punctuated by coughing. ¡°I think someone¡¯s in there!¡±

    Yes! Kira wanted to speak to them, but her lungs were filled with smoke and ashes. Help me! I can¡¯t die like this!

    ¡°I heard them scream!¡±

    ¡°The heat¡ªit¡¯s too strong¡ª¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t save them.¡±

    Kira stopped flaring her wings. They weren¡¯t burning, and she had no idea why, but she knew if she stayed here any longer, she would die.

    No. I can¡¯t die. Flashes of her mother¡¯s face, Queen Eclipse¡¯s face, Ozzy¡¯s face. They were all depending on her. She couldn¡¯t let them down.

    But how can I escape?

    Out of the blue, the answer came to her, clear as day¡ªalmost like a voice speaking to her. Your powers. Use them.

    Energy pulsed between her paws, growing stronger the more she became aware of it. A pull came from it, as if it were sucking up the air around it. The fire closest to Kira grew dimmer and emitted less heat.

    It¡¯s not sucking up the air, Kira realized. It¡¯s taking the fire!

    The energy turned into a ball of white light, growing bigger than ever. The flames around her grew dark and flickered out of existence.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Kira shouted, raising the ball of light to the sky. She smirked at the flames. ¡°Take that!¡±

    The fire disappeared in earnest, leaving only charred ground where it had been.

    The light in Kira¡¯s eyes shrank and blinked out. She stood there, panting, her fur dripping with sweat. She through the fiery scene, searching for signs of life among the wreckage.

    Cheers greeted her as she stepped out of the trees into a charcoal clearing. Wolves, birds, lions, and even a tiny opossum ran to greet her.

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    Kira scanned the crowd, looking for the dominant creature. It appeared to be bears, both grizzlies and pandas. They mostly sat outside of the crowd, not distant but not smothering everyone with their presence.

    A fox ran up to Kira, and her heart lurched. He was orange, with white cheeks and black paws. His green eyes were curious and clever, with just a hint of mischievousness. Flashes of her homeland flew through her mind, blinding her with sorrow.

    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re an odd color!¡± he said, nudging her shoulder and bringing her back to reality. ¡°And you have wings! How on Cyalia did you stop that fire? Which pack are you from? I¡¯m Fenn, by the way. What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Umm¡ªI-I-I¡ªKira, I guess?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t overwhelm her, Fenn.¡± A brown and black bear cub muscled his way through the crowd and looked scornfully at Fenn. Then he turned to Kira with an apologetic expression on his face. ¡°Sorry, Kira. Forgive him. He gets wrapped up in the moment sometimes.¡±

    ¡°I¡ª¡± Kira tried to answer, but the clamor of the crowd was increasing, along with all of the hurried introductions.

    ¡°EVERYONE!¡± the bear cub roared. ¡°This fox needs some space! I¡¯ll lead her to the village. You can all ask questions later.¡±

    The crowd dispersed reluctantly, and they all began trapsing in one direction.

    ¡°Hmmph,¡± Kira huffed, then turned to the bear cub. ¡°I didn¡¯t catch your name, by the way.¡±

    ¡°Harvey,¡± he replied. ¡°Fenn is my companion.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on, back home?¡± Fenn asked Kira.

    It was the question she dreaded. Kira was silent, wondering if she should tell the exuberant fox. He was her age¡ªhow could she burden him with knowing his home was being destroyed? But how could she leave him wondering and worrying about what was going on?

    She could always lie to him.

    But she didn¡¯t want to.

    ¡°Helloooo?¡± Fenn asked. ¡°You there?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it,¡± Kita snapped.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Fenn questioned, frowning. ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to tell me? My family is over there! I want to know what¡¯s happened to them!¡±

    ¡°And I don¡¯t want to talk about it!¡± Kira shouted, folding her ears back and glaring at him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t!¡±

    ¡°But why not?¡± Fenn was clearly getting more agitated. ¡°What¡¯s so bad that you won¡¯t tell me?¡±

    ¡°Just¡ªjust shut up!¡± Kira yelled. Angry tears started coursing down her face. Fenn looked taken aback.

    ¡°Both of you, calm down!¡± Harvey intervened. ¡°Look, Fenn, maybe Kira will tell you later. We can¡¯t press her for information she doesn¡¯t want to share.¡±

    ¡°But I have to know!¡± Fenn cried. ¡°What if my family¡¯s dead, and I don¡¯t even know?¡±

    ¡°Later,¡± Harvey said sternly.

    Kira stared at the ground.

    ¡°So¡­¡± Harvey started, changing the subject. ¡°How did you put out that fire, Kira?¡±

    Kira shuffled her paws. How much should she tell these animals? Could she trust them?

    Not like I have a choice, she thought bitterly. If I want to find Deya, I have to start somewhere.

    ¡°Um¡­a Dragon helped me out,¡± Kira said vaguely. How much should she tell them about Deya?

    ¡°A Dragon? Really?¡± Fenn¡¯s previous anger was now replaced with wonder. ¡°No way! Which type?¡±

    ¡°A¡ªa Light Dragon,¡± Kira said.

    ¡°Where are they now?¡± Harvey asked curiously, scanning the trees behind them as if a Dragon could pop out at any moment. ¡°How did you befriend a Dragon?¡±

    ¡°She was impressed,¡± Kira lied. ¡°I defeated a bunch of her enemies and, um, stuff.¡±

    ¡°Wow!¡± Fenn breathed. ¡°Is that where you got your wings, too?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Kira folded and unfolded her bright, feathered plumage.

    ¡°Can I meet her?¡± Fenn asked excitedly.

    ¡°Err¡­¡± Kira began. ¡°She likes to stay, um, hidden¡ªshe doesn¡¯t really like being in public¡ªgoddess stuff, you know.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Fenn and Harvey nodded like they perfectly understood the works of gods and goddesses.

    They stopped walking.

    ¡°We¡¯re here!¡± Harvey proclaimed. Kira glanced up from her paws and drew in breath.

    This was a village, alright. Compared to her pack¡¯s mud dens, however, this was luxury. Almost a hundred caves filled the portion of forest they were standing in, with some having stone outcroppings jutting out of the ground. In the middle of them all was a pile of fresh meat, surrounded by other creatures who were laughing and talking with one another. Streams ran through the village, and bears occasionally paused their journeys to stick a paw into the water and draw out a fish or two.

    ¡°Wow,¡± she breathed.

    Harvey stuck out his chest. ¡°Welcome to Riverbed Village,¡± he said proudly.

    When the creatures saw Kira, they fell silent. The crowd of companions that had come from the forest fire began greeting friends and telling them what happened. Slowly, all eyes turned to her expectantly.

    ¡°This is Kira, a Champion of a Light Dragon!¡± Harvey said. Somehow, Kira got the idea that he was the one in charge, even though there were many other bears much older and bigger than he was. ¡°She vanquished the fire that would have destroyed our entire village.¡±

    Kira gasped. This whole village? This paradise for creatures, and that fire would have destroyed it all?

    Her home was one thing. This sanctuary was another.

    Whispers began spreading through the crowd as Harvey¡¯s words sank in.

    ¡°That fox?¡±

    ¡°The white one with wings?¡±

    ¡°She took out a whole fire.¡±

    ¡°I heard that the fire reached her, but it didn¡¯t hurt her.¡±

    ¡°How did she do it?¡±

    ¡°Is she really a Champion of a Light Dragon?¡±

    ¡°Who is she?¡±

    A brown and white weasel approached Harvey, his whiskers twitching. His black eyes glittered ominously.

    ¡°Harvey,¡± he said in a squeaky voice, ¡°we all know what must happen.¡±

    Harvey nodded, then turned to the crowd.

    ¡°Creatures of Riverbed Village!¡± he yelled. ¡°Let us begin the Dragon Summoning Ceremony!¡±

 Chapter 11: Cyfrincato

    Kira stood, chained to four trees. Twelve bears stood in a circle around her, banging their paws on the ground rhythmically. In the background, the other creatures chanted words in a language Kira didn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°Um, are you sure about this?¡± Kira shouted nervously.

    ¡°Absolutely!¡± Harvey yelled back. ¡°This method never fails!¡±

    ¡°And how many Dragon Champions have you had?¡± Kira responded with equal volume.

    ¡°None!¡±

    ¡°Exactly!¡± Kira swished her tail. ¡°Why do I have to be in chains again?¡±

    ¡°No idea!¡± Harvey replied cheerfully. ¡°Just stop struggling!¡±

    Kira felt her panic rising. She had thought she could trust these creatures, but apparently they were insane. What was this¡ªsome sort of sacrificial ceremony?

    ¡°You slimy cave dwellers!¡± she screamed. ¡°I trusted you!¡±

    Harvey continued smiling and waving, then turned and walked away. Kira fumed.

    The chanting and pounding stopped. All of the creatures around her dispersed, turning their backs on her and following Harvey¡¯s lead.

    ¡°Guttersnipes! Frizting fiests!¡± Kira cursed after them.

    They just left her alone, not looking back once, even as Kira hurled more insults at them.

    As soon as they were out of sight, Kira sat down, panting. She was so na?ve! She didn¡¯t even know these creatures. Why had she trusted them?

    The ground rumbled under Kira¡¯s paws, but she didn¡¯t care. She was too busy cursing and throwing a fit, screaming to the sky and trying to bite her chains off, with no effect. Her wings flared as she tried to take off, only to be thrown to the ground by her shackles. Hot tears of anger flowed from her eyes, and her vision was blurry. Her chains were vibrating faster and faster.

    Kira slumped to the ground, defeated. A small part of her mind registered that the rumbling had stopped.

    She started scratching at herself, trying to escape. She sobbed and shrieked, lashing her tail and trying to dig around the base of the chains.

    ¡°You look troubled, little fox,¡± a calm voice said.

    Kira whipped around, panting, a mad glint in her eye. A mahogany Dragon was sitting on the ground not very far from her, with glittering emerald scales scattered around the brown surface of his body. His eyes were a cheerful gold, but they twinkled with a bit of mystery. He had huge claws, though they weren¡¯t particularly sharp. It was clear that he dug more than he hunted. His upper body was bigger than his lower, and his wings were rather small, and fit perfectly to his sides. He had a large, jagged tail fin running down his back, and his thick tail was sitting peacefully on his talons. His horns were gigantic as well, curling to rest behind his neck. He was twice as large as Deya, which meant that he absolutely towered over Kira.

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    ¡°Who are you?¡± Kira demanded.

    ¡°More importantly, who are you?¡± the Dragon countered.

    ¡°Kira,¡± the fox said stiffly. ¡°What type of Dragon are you?¡±

    ¡°I am an Earth Dragon,¡± the brown Dragon said humbly. He bowed, which startled Kira so bad that she sat down on her rump in shock. The Dragon chuckled.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    Now it was the Earth Dragon¡¯s turn to look surprised. ¡°You didn¡¯t summon me?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Kira replied angrily. ¡°It was the creatures of Riverbed Village.¡±

    The Dragon laughed. ¡°Those animals. One would think that they just don¡¯t want to deal with strangers on their own, the adorable things. Of course they summoned me.¡± He wheezed, then burst into another bought of laughter.

    ¡°Well, I certainly don¡¯t think it¡¯s that funny,¡± Kira snapped. ¡°They chained me here.¡±

    The Earth Dragon subsided, wiping his eyes with one talon. ¡°I can see that. So, you don¡¯t know why you¡¯re here?¡±

    ¡°Of course not!¡± Kira cried. Was this Dragon daft?

    ¡°You don¡¯t happen to have lost something?¡± the Dragon asked. ¡°Or someone, perhaps?¡±

    Kira gaped. How did he know?

    ¡°So what if I have?¡± Kira snarled.

    ¡°You don¡¯t want help?¡± the Dragon asked.

    ¡°Not from you,¡± Kira bit back. ¡°I don¡¯t even know you.¡±

    ¡°Strange.¡± The giant Dragon seemed to ponder that for a moment. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just meet the Princess of the Light Dragons as well? What made you trust her?¡±

    ¡°How do you know this?¡± Kira inquired, evading his question.

    ¡°I know many things,¡± the Earth Dragon said. ¡°Us Earth Dragons have a reputation of being as dumb as rocks among the Dragon community. But we keep our ears to the ground, listening, commanding the other animals of Cyalia. The Bear Lands likes us especially, but you can find us anywhere. We hear things that others don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°So you spy on everyone?¡± Kira said.

    The Dragon chuckled. ¡°In a way, yes. But is it really spying if the information is there to grab? You¡¯d think creatures would go to a more secretive space to discuss matters if they didn¡¯t want to be spied on.¡±

    ¡°Who are you? Answer me!¡± Kira ordered.

    ¡°Ah, my name.¡± The Earth Dragon summoned a faraway gaze, as if staring through several layers of reality. ¡°Cyfrincato, they called me. But you can call me Cyfrin.¡±

    ¡°Called you?¡± Kira asked, now too curios to be angry.

    ¡°I removed myself from the Earth Dragon community long ago,¡± Cyfrin said. He smiled sadly. ¡°I found that my wisdom, while important to others, was beginning to dumb down the other Dragons. Instead of listening to their own secrets, they came to me for knowledge.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°But enough about me. What would you like assistance with?¡±

    Being alone, Kira thought bitterly. But this was probably the closest she could get to finding Deya. Plus, maybe she could convince him to fight along their side. His large stature would surely benefit them in a fight against the Black Dragon.

    ¡°How can I defeat the Black Dragon?¡± Kira asked.

    Cyfrin smiled at her. ¡°You must find your companion.¡±

    Kira gasped. ¡°I-I have a companion? How come I was never chosen?¡±

    ¡°You needed to find your companion on your own. You were always destined to meet, but you were unique¡ªyou had to find each other on your own.¡±

    ¡°Who is it?¡± Kira asked.

    Cyfrin shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t answer that.¡±

    Anger pulsed through Kira¡¯s veins once again. ¡°Why not? Aren¡¯t you supposed to know everything?¡±

    Cyfrin laughed. ¡°Even I cannot know everything, little fox. No one truly holds all knowledge.¡±

    ¡°How is finding my companion useful to stop the Black Dragon?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that, either.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m done with your cryptic answers,¡± Kira snapped. ¡°This is useless.¡±

    As soon as she said it, her chains fell apart. She glared at them, then stalked off, having had enough with Cyfrin, Riverbed Village, and the Bear Lands.

    It was time to find Deya.

 Chapter 12: Prison

    The Dragon raised the chains to her face for the hundredth time, trying to spot a hole where she could use her magic or insert her teeth. She found none, and lay her forearm back on the floor, sighing.

    She tried to stretch, but her back scraped against the wall. She had to curl her long neck towards her tail in order to fit, and her wings were aching from being confined for so long. The stone wall seemed to contract slowly, trapping her, swallowing her¡­

    She would never get out.

    She would never see the light of day again.

    She would never get to say goodbye.

    No, she thought fiercely. I can¡¯t think like that. I will get out. Someone¡­someone will help me.

    But would they?

    The chains clinked on the cold, rough floor, seeming to laugh at her.

    You are ours. You will never escape. You will never be found. You will die here.

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    Oh, why can¡¯t I do anything? The Dragon thought miserably.

    She began to cry.

    ¡°I hear you,¡± a voice said in the darkness.

    The Dragon lifted her head up as much as she could without hitting the ceiling. Her ears perked up. Had she listened right? Was there someone else down here?

    Maybe I¡¯m not alone.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± the Dragon asked, her voice trembling.

    ¡°I¡¯m nobody,¡± the voice said with melancholy. ¡°I was taken long ago. No one remembers my name, and I don¡¯t think I remember either. Sometimes I want to die, just to get it over with, to take away the pain.¡±

    The Dragon knew what the voice was talking about. She remembered the burning metal they pressed against her skin, the whips and knives slicing through her scales. Her blood decorated the floor, covering more space every day. She thought that if it went on any longer, she would die¡ªbut apparently her fate was worse.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± the Dragon asked. Who was this creature?

    ¡°I disobeyed my master,¡± the voice answered. ¡°He took me from my family and enslaved me, forcing me to do his bidding in a place where I almost lost my sanity. He corrupted me with his magic, and now I suffer more and more each day. I¡¯m almost glad that I¡¯m here instead of where he is, though. I thought I was alone, but I was wrong, I guess.¡±

    ¡°Why are you talking to me now?¡±

    ¡°Because I know who you are,¡± the voice responded with a giggle, which the Dragon thought was highly unfitting for a prison of this quality.

    ¡°You are Deya.¡±

 Chapter 13: Rain Dance

    Kira woke, gasping. Her heart was pounding like thunder, and her eyes flickered back and forth, trying to register something that wasn¡¯t there.

    What did I see? Kira thought, thoroughly puzzled. She reached a paw to her forehead.

    It must have been a nightmare, but she could have sworn it was real. Everything about it¡­except she couldn¡¯t remember.

    I remember feeling cramped. In pain. Sorrowful, and¡­curious?

    Where has these emotions come from?

    Thinking about it was enough to send Kira¡¯s heart racing even faster. These emotions are not my emotions. These feelings are not my feelings.

    Then whose are they?

    There was something else. The thing that had made her curious. A voice?

    Kira shut her eyes tight, straining her memory. A distant sound echoed in her brain¡­the clink of shackles, perhaps.

    But I don¡¯t have chains on me.

    She was perplexed. The fox sat down and pondered what she was feeling, but the more she thought about it, the faster they began to fade. A part of her panicked, wanting to hold onto the emotions for dear life. But why?

    The sun reached her eyes from through the tree cover. It had risen already, which meant that Kira had to be going. She could think about the nightmare, or whatever it was, later.

    But right now, she had a mission.

    <hr>

    Kira had decided to go back to the Wolf Lands, where she had lost Deya.

    She wasn¡¯t very keen on going back to the scene of the crime, but she had to start somewhere. Maybe there was a clue there as to where Deya went.

    You must find your companion, Cyfrin¡¯s words whispered in her mind.

    Too bad, Kira thought back fiercely. I¡¯ll do it on my own. Not that anyone would want me anyways.

    She flew continuously north, fueled by rage and sorrow, the feelings constricting in her chest, crushing and making her feel like she might burst at any moment. Her muscles could burn. Her lungs could gasp for air. It wouldn¡¯t change the fact that she had to get to her destination as fast as possible. Physical pain didn¡¯t matter.

    The weather began to get colder. It was already freezing at Kira¡¯s altitude, but she could tell that the temperature was decreasing. Her thick fur kept out most of the icy air.

    Finally, after at least two days of flying straight, Kira stopped at the Nexus at about midday. She was surprised at how far she had flown¡ªmaybe Deya¡¯s powers gave her increased flying speed as well as some other things.

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    Deya¡­

    Kira thought as she slurped from the cold river, watching the salmon swim to and fro under the surface. If Deya wasn¡¯t in the Wolf Lands, where else would she go? Lelluys, the Free Lands? Maybe Equellay, the Equestrian Lands?

    The fox gritted her teeth. She would scour the whole continent if she had to.

    She glanced back at her reflection and gave a start. Her eyes were glowing. Not glowing with emotion, but actually glowing. Prisms of light were gathering in her eyes, crackling and spitting.

    What is happening to me? Kira thought. She brought a paw to her face in horror as her white eyes grew brighter. They flickered from white to red, and Kira shrieked, remembering the Black Dragon¡¯s blood red eyes.

    As suddenly as the light had started, it faded back to a warm rainbow. Kira stared at the fox looking back at her.

    It was clearly Deya¡¯s power that had made her eyes glow. The intensity of the brightness could also be related to her anger. Maybe that was why they had flickered to red?

    But Deya had been angry before, and her eyes never glowed. Did she just have greater control over her emotions, or was the power just deformed on Kira?

    Kira shook her head. She couldn¡¯t be concerned about this right now.

    She extended her wings and took to the air.

    <hr>

    Kira decided that she hated storms.

    The worst things always happened in them. Flying was practically impossible in them. They were cold and wet and made Kira¡¯s fur feel all heavy when the rain or snow reached her. Not to mention the wind, which threw her every which way and made her have to keep adjusting her course, only to switch in a new direction so she had tuck, dive, and roll her way to freedom.

    Kira decided to fly up. She soared into the sky, or at least where she thought the sky might be. It was hard to tell which way was up or down, as the wind and rain went in all directions. She silently cursed Tempest, who no doubt has sent this storm.

    Finally, Kira broke through the clouds, and was greeted by the moon. It was a bright sky lantern that lit everything its light touched. The stars twinkled all around, joining the moon in its journey to the horizon. Up here, where the air was thin and the wind was still and everything was silent, everything seemed like a dream. Kira found her heart rate slowing, and her breathing calmed. Even her anger and rage at the Black Dragon softened.

    It was as if there was a voice whispering in her ear. You are safe here. Nothing can harm you so long as I am watching over you. Stay here, be safe in my glowing arms. Sleep, and I will take care of you.

    Briefly, Kira thought of Queen Eclipse. Was she down there, watching her? Did she know what Kira was going through? Was she gently moving the moon across the sky, talking soothingly to her, telling her that there was always hope?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Kira breathed to the moon. ¡°I lost her.¡±

    Did the moon forgive her? Could Queen Eclipse hear her?

    As if in answer, a tiny streak of light traveled across the starlit dome, blinking in and out of sight. To anyone else watching, it was an anomaly in the sky. But to Kira, it was a sign.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back,¡± Kira told the moon.

    Then she tucked her bright wings in and dove backwards determinedly through the clouds.

    She weaved through the wind and lightning and rain as if they were a part of her, whisking her and guiding her to where she wanted to go.

    The wind was no longer her enemy; rather, it whistled with joy as she joined it in the dangerous dance through the clouds, twirling and spinning over and over again. Kira laughed wildly, spreading and tucking her wings periodically, never fighting the storm, only flying with it. It was like they were two old friends joined together again, giggling breathlessly together and twisting with one another.

    The clouds gathered around her and then scattered, as if it was teasing her, enticing her to chase them to the end of eternity.

    The lightning was her guide and playmate, pointing her in the right way and trying to tag her as she flew. The thunderclaps were the storm¡¯s laughter, echoing in the clouds with the sounds of its mirth.

    And, for once in her life, Kira felt like she was part of something. Like she had a purpose.

 Chapter 14: Into the Arctic

    Finally, the storm stopped, and Kira found herself once again in the land of snow and ice. The moon had disappeared, replaced by the bright fingers of dawn clawing its way up the horizon. A thousand different shades of blue and purple glinted and peered from their hiding spots in the landscape. Kira figured she was at the very edge of the Wolf Lands, or Canay, close to the ocean.

    And also very far away from where she had lost Deya.

    The portal to the Moon Dragon Palace was located roughly in the middle of Canay, which would take roughly two to three days of flying¡ª

    And then Kira realized: it was a portal. It wasn¡¯t actually where she had lost Deya; in fact, she had no idea where the Moon Dragon Palace really was. Her heart sank down to her tail as she considered this information.

    Kira touched down on the powdery ice crystals, sighing as she tucked in her wings.

    ¡°Lost?¡± a voice asked.

    Kira turned around and came face to face with a wolf about her age. His expression was mischievous, with a grin that stretched all the way across his teeth.

    ¡°No,¡± Kira sniffed. ¡°I have wings.¡±

    ¡°I can see that,¡± he said, tilting his head. ¡°Where on Cyalia did you get those?¡±

    ¡°None of your business,¡± Kira snapped.

    ¡°Ooo, an attitude!¡± The wolf¡¯s grin broadened. ¡°Me likey!¡±

    ¡°Shut up and leave me alone.¡± Kira turned around and stalked off west, in the direction that the portal had been.

    The wolf followed her. ¡°How about no? You¡¯re in my pack¡¯s territory. That gives me a right to keep an eye on you in case you do something dangerous.¡±

    ¡°And by ¡®keep and eye on¡¯, you mean ¡®annoy me until I explode¡¯?¡± Kira retorted.

    ¡°Maaybe,¡± the wolf said playfully, wiggling his eyebrows. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°None of your business.¡±

    ¡°Hello, None of Your Business. I¡¯m Aspen.¡±

    Kira gritted her teeth and sped up. ¡°That¡¯s not my name.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Aspen trotted to match her pace. ¡°What is it then?¡±

    Kira ignored him.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a fox your color!¡± Aspen said cheerily, continuing the conversation. ¡°Mind you, I haven¡¯t seen a lot of foxes.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t,¡± Kira muttered. ¡°Most of them are probably dead by now.¡±

    Aspen froze. His grin slid off his face like ice melting in a desert. ¡°W-what?¡±

    ¡°Nothing.¡±

    ¡°What happened to the other foxes?¡± Aspen demanded, trying to cut her off as she walked even faster.

    Kira finally whipped around and faced him, teeth bared. ¡°You really want to know? A Dragon killed them. Killed them all. I saw it. Now go away, you yapping worm.¡± She started running and flapping her wings, preparing to take off despite the pain in her shoulders.

    ¡°W-what?¡± Aspen stammered. ¡°N-no! Wait! I didn¡¯t¡ªI didn¡¯t mean it! Come back! Please!¡±

    That¡¯s right, Kira thought with relish at his fearful expression as she shot into the sky. Beg me. Plead with me. I am all that matters.

    But Kira ignored him, flapping even harder. His anguished cries followed her until she was far away, flying over pine trees and white hills.

    What am I looking for? she wondered. There seemed to be some sort of instinct guiding her. Her wings tilted of their own accord, sometimes adjusting her course without her even realizing.

    After a few hours, Kira was long past the point of pain in her shoulders. She knew that she should have rested, perhaps a long while ago, but she was curious.

    A mountain peak approached in the distance. Kira was grateful for the change of scenery¡ªnever ending snowy hills tended to get a bit boring after a while¡ªbut the new appearance made her question even further where she was going.

    However, when she crested the next hill, everything became apparent.

    An ice palace was hidden at the base of the mountain. Its top reached halfway up the peak, and it glittered in the afternoon sunlight. Rainbows shimmered in the blue crystalline walls, jumping and shifting through them like a snowstorm. The palace was almost as wide as the mountain, with various spiraled towers and paths crisscrossing the bounds. Holes where creatures¡ªDragons, Kira realized¡ªcould fly through were situated at certain places along the palace, all dusted with an elegant layer of frost. There were no precise edges in the building; each wall was a curve leading unto another spiral¡ªyet somehow it all connected and made sense to Kira.

    Activity spread all through the palace. Kira saw Dragons everywhere, flying from towers to the courtyard, flitting between holes, carrying various things and going at various paces. They were all white and blue, with sparkling scales brighter than the snow, and more beautiful. As Kira got closer, she could see that their horns all curved smoothly and elegantly from their heads, even the males. The Dragons¡¯ wings were also curved, but they sliced through the wind so efficiently that Kira¡¯s own wings looked like blocks of wood in comparison. Their long tails swished behind the Ice Dragons, decorated with sharp, jagged spikes that were just as clear as the palace walls, and looked like they were made of ice.

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    Kira decided to land at the door instead of barging in on these Dragons¡ªthey looked a lot more formidable than Deya, and Kira had a feeling that they were much less forgiving as well.

    She landed on a snow platform, in front of a door made of crystal that she could not see through. Two guards approached, wearing silvery armor and carrying metal spears.

    ¡°Who goes there?¡± one of them asked, his voice as cold and sharp as the air.

    ¡°My name is Kira.¡± Kira bowed formally to them, as her instincts said. ¡°I have come to ask for help from the Ice Dragons.¡±

    Could they help her find Deya? Kira wasn¡¯t sure, but even if they couldn¡¯t, she might as well warn them of the Black Dragon.

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t look like any fox I¡¯ve ever seen,¡± one of the guards said suspiciously, pointing his spear at her chest and poking her experimentally. She frowned at him.

    ¡°That¡¯s because a Dragon gave me¡­um, some abilities.¡± Kira wasn¡¯t sure whether or not to mention Deya, but as she was a wanted rogue in the Dragon kingdoms, the fox didn¡¯t. She also didn¡¯t elaborate when it came to her abilities¡­mainly because even she didn¡¯t know what they truly were.

    The guards eyed her up and down.

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t seem to be lying,¡± one of them speculated.

    ¡°And those colors do resemble the Light Dragon markings,¡± the other guard acknowledged grudgingly. ¡°And, of course, there¡¯s no other way she could¡¯ve gotten wings¡­¡±

    ¡°You may pass,¡± the other one said, lowering his weapon and reaching up to the door. As soon as his talon touched the surface, it rippled and disappeared. Kira walked through without a backward glance at them.

    Kira entered a gargantuan courtyard, with even more activity than the sky. Dragonets and even wolves ran back and forth with their tasks, chatting with each other and playing together.

    Most of them didn¡¯t spare her a glance, but Kira saw a few stop and stare at her. A group of wolf pups gaped with their mouths open as she passed. She stuck her tongue out at them.

    At first, Kira didn¡¯t know where to go. Nobody had given her directions or anything; there was no one to show her the way. She walked towards the door at the end of the courtyard, assuming that was the one she should go through to find someone. Now many of the creatures in the courtyard were shooting her furtive looks filled with ice and anger. Kira felt like a mouse in a den of lions.

    Suddenly, a Dragon ran up to Kira. He was only a bit bigger than Kira, and wore a cute, nervous expression on his face.

    ¡°Hi! Hi! I¡¯m so sorry! I was supposed to get here earlier! Ack! I was distracted because Mistress Iceberg had me go to the kitchens and get her some snow cones but then I got told to go escort you to the throne room but Mistress Iceberg REALLY wanted those snow cones and I didn¡¯t want to displease her and I¡¯m so, so sorry!¡±

    A curious feeling was coming over Kira. Normally, she would snap at anyone who made her wait. She hated waiting, especially when she had such an important mission. But looking at this Dragon, her anger melted, replaced by a different emotion¡ªpity? Warmth? Why was he SO CUTE and why did his nervous talon wringing make her want to smile and it was so WEIRD and WHAT WAS THIS FEELING and she had an IMPORTANT MISSION so she couldn¡¯t afford to goggle at incredibly good-looking Dragons that made her feel like she might want to fall over!

    Kira smiled, squashing her thoughts. ¡°It¡¯s totally fine. I wasn¡¯t waiting that long.¡±

    The Dragon¡¯s handsome snout now looked incredibly relieved. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Kira asked, her tail wagging.

    ¡°Oh, um, we servants aren¡¯t supposed to give our names, so. Um.¡±

    ¡°Can I¡­order you to give me your name?¡± Kira asked, blushing.

    ¡°That would work!¡± the Dragon confirmed, smiling at her. It was nothing like the cold glances she got from the other Ice Dragons. It was comforting and it made her forget about all of her troubles. It brightened the day she was living.

    It reminded her of Deya, only in a more handsome and blinding way. Deya was all elegance and gentle light, while this Dragon was blinding and twitchy, occasionally tripping wolves with his tail or bumping his wings into something, and then shrinking away as if he expected someone to hit him for his mistakes.

    ¡°U-um, I order you to tell me your name,¡± Kira said.

    ¡°It¡¯s Ayaz,¡± the Dragon said. His voice was like snow falling, soft but clear and carrying. It expressed so many emotions with only two words, and yet somehow he wasn¡¯t overwhelming.

    ¡°I¡¯m Kira,¡± Kira responded. ¡°Can you show me to the throne room?¡±

    Ayaz blinked. ¡°Oh. Yeah. Right. This way.¡±

    They sped across the courtyard and through the doorway, then up a spiral staircase. Everything seemed to be made of ice or crystal, and Kira couldn¡¯t tell which¡ªeverything radiated cold, yet shimmered with colors.

    ¡°So¡­¡± Ayaz looked at Kira, then ducked his head away. ¡°What, um, what brings you here?¡±

    ¡°I have to warn everybody,¡± Kira explained. ¡°There is a Black Dragon rampaging around, destroying villages and massacring creatures.¡±

    ¡°Black?¡± Ayaz asked in disbelief.

    ¡°I saw him with my own eyes,¡± Kira said vehemently.

    ¡°Well, crab sins and shark fins,¡± Ayaz cursed. ¡°I have no idea what type of Dragon could be black¡­which means its powers are unknown and definitely dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Well, he definitely has fire.¡± Kira swished her tail, thinking.

    ¡°He?¡± Ayaz looked surprised.

    ¡°It looked like a he,¡± Kira said uncomfortably. ¡°I, um, don¡¯t actually know.¡±

    Ayaz opened his mouth to say something, then glanced ahead and stopped. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±

    Kira looked forwards and saw a large, elaborate door. It looked like it was made of silver, with diamonds and opals set into it, creating the design of a dragon sitting on a chair with a crown.

    Ayaz raised his talon to knock, but a servant came out of the door before he could.

    ¡°Ayaz?¡± the other Dragon asked, tilting her snow-white head. Blue, swooping marks under her eyes and along her snout made her look rather beautiful. Her expression wasn¡¯t cheerful like Ayaz. In fact, she was hard to read. If Kira had to guess, she would say that this Dragon was both bored and a little nervous.

    ¡°Hi, Frost!¡± Ayaz said, smiling. ¡°I¡¯m just taking this guest here to see the King and Queen.¡±

    ¡°Oh, um, they aren¡¯t taking visitors right now,¡± Frost said. ¡°We can get you in at about two days¡¯ time, perhaps?¡±

    Ayaz deflated. ¡°But, wait¡ª¡±

    Kira stepped in, glaring at Frost. ¡°I need to get in there, now. It can¡¯t wait.¡±

    Frost shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t let you in. If the King and Queen don¡¯t want anyone in there, no one will go there.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Ayaz said. ¡°Can you contact Bai and tell him that there will be a guest in the palace, and that I will take care of her?"

    Frost nodded, looking confused.

    ¡°So what, I¡¯m just supposed to sit around and do nothing until your monarchs get off their butts?¡± Kira demanded loudly.

    Frost narrowed her eyes at Kira, then shook her head. ¡°You will be in room number 528.¡±

    Kira bared her teeth. ¡°Why should I let you boss me around?¡±

    ¡°Kira,¡± Ayaz butted in, ¡°come on.¡± He grabbed her arm and pulled her down the hallway.

    Kira reluctantly followed him, gritting her teeth.

    ¡°You can¡¯t just insult the monarchs like that,¡± Ayaz chastised gently. ¡°If you want an audience with them, you have to show them some respect.¡±

    ¡°Hmmph.¡± Kira flicked her ears irritably.

    They walked in silence the rest of the way.

    After a few minutes of winding passageways, Ayaz stopped at a door that depicted a diamond shining in the shadows.

    ¡°Your room is right here,¡± he said. ¡°I will serve you personally. If you ever need assistance, ring that windchime over there. Enjoy the view.¡±

    Then he left, leaving Kira to think angrily about how her mission had been postponed.

 Chapter 15: Blizzard and Snowstorm

    Kira wasn¡¯t sure whether to be angry or happy at her predicament.

    On one paw, she got to spend more time with Ayaz.

    On the other paw, her mission was being stopped in its tracks. Who knew how many creatures the Black Dragon had killed already? What if he had already killed over half of the continent, and Kira was lounging on her tail in a palace?

    At least the hours seemed to go by fast. Before Kira knew it, over a day had passed, just with her talking to Ayaz and helping him with his duties (much to his objection). Kira learned that Ayaz¡¯s father was a well-respected builder who was nice to everyone. That was partly how Ayaz had managed to get into the role of Lead Servant in the palace.

    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to have this job,¡± he told her breathlessly, while they were taking a small break after mopping the cold floor. ¡°You have no idea.¡±

    ¡°Why do you like being a servant?¡± Kira asked him. ¡°When nobody looks at you or talks to you, and they all consider you as a speck of dust on their talons?¡±

    ¡°The other servants don¡¯t do that!¡± Ayaz said reproachfully. Then he looked around nervously and added, ¡°And they don¡¯t do that!¡±

    Kira rolled her eyes. ¡°They see you as a tool,¡± she said. ¡°They don¡¯t care about you at all.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± Ayaz countered gently. ¡°I have friends here. If I was any higher, I wouldn¡¯t be able to see them.¡±

    Kira tilted her head. ¡°Really?¡±

    Ayaz nodded. ¡°I¡¯m happy here, where I am, and in the position I¡¯m in.¡±

    Kira thought about that for a moment. Would she serve unforgiving Dragons if it meant she could stay with her friends and family? She wasn¡¯t sure. If she¡¯d had a normal life, was there any chance she could have ended up like Ayaz¡ªhappy with what he had, bowing before others that may or may not be just as good as he was?

    She knew the answer almost immediately. She would never submit to anyone, not now that she knew how seductive others were.

    Just then, a wolf skidded down the crystalline hallway towards them, breathless and looking very urgent.

    ¡°Ayaz¡­¡± he wheezed. ¡°Throne room¡­meeting¡­Majesties¡­¡±

    Ayaz scrambled to his talons frantically. ¡°Got it! We¡¯ll head there as fast as we can!¡±

    Kira got to her paws as well, and they both set off down the hall at a speedy pace.

    Several spiraling staircases later, they arrived at the throne room door. It looked the same, only Kira could hear noises behind it.

    Ayaz knocked hesitantly. The clatter momentarily paused, then a voice said, ¡°Come in.¡±

    Kira shoved open the door and strode into the throne room, her tail swishing behind her.

    The room was giant. Large, sloping archways all met at a point above them, from which hung a large chandelier glittering with light. The entire area was well lit, with tapestries of Ice Dragons on the walls, and imbedded with clear, sparkling crystals. Two identical thrones lay at the back of the archway, and three chairs were on either side of them, curving gently inwards. They were all occupied by Ice Dragons, whose expressions ranged from haughty to curious.

    ¡°Welcome!¡± a voice exclaimed as she entered.

    In Kira¡¯s opinion, the Ice Dragon monarchs were nowhere near as majestic as Queen Eclipse. That didn¡¯t mean they weren¡¯t great, however. The one on the left was the first to catch Kira¡¯s attention, and also the one to speak. She was white, with a rainbow shimmer to her scales much like the outside of the palace. Her wing webbing was clear, transparent blue, which startled Kira for a second. White scales were scattered in the webbing as well, so that it looked like it was snowing every time she swept her wings. Her expression was rather indifferent, but not too arrogant. A diamond crown rested on top of her head.

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    The one on the right was a little less eye-catching. He was white as well, but with blue speckles of various light and dark shades on top of his forelegs, back, and along his neck. His wings were white with blue speckles, and his eyes were navy blue with light blue flecks in them, reflecting his odd scale pattern. He wore a more mellow expression that reminded Kira distinctly of Ayaz. His silver crown was twisted around his horns, and he wore several earrings as well. Kira saw him reach his talon up to touch one, as if he was reluctant to wear it, and the female¡¯s tail swatted his arm away.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to have you here,¡± the male said, smiling.

    ¡°Took you long enough,¡± Kira retorted loudly. Ayaz gave her a reproachful glance, but she ignored him. ¡°I had important news, and you made me wait almost two days?¡±

    The monarchs exchanged looks, their smiles slightly forced now. Kira didn¡¯t care¡ªshe had the right to tell them off for making her wait.

    ¡°You are here now,¡± the male said placidly. ¡°Tell us what was urgent.¡±

    Kira glared at them, but they said nothing else.

    Ayaz backed towards the door. ¡°I¡¯ll, um¡­just¡­go. See you, Kira. I wish you luck. Come back for me when you¡¯re done, will you?¡±

    With a grin, he slipped through the door, and then he was gone. Kira found herself feeling sad and lonely, but right now she was furious with these monarchs.

    She and the king and queen stared at each other for one long moment.

    Finally, she broke into an explanation of her story.

    She started at the beginning, when her village burned down. When Kira got to the part about Deya, she was surprised to find herself using almost poetic language to describe her Dragon friend. They had to understand how important Deya was. Kira knew that there were things that she was not aware of as well¡ªthings like what Cyfrin had mentioned. But what she did know was that Deya was crucial to the mission and in the fate of Cyalia as well.

    When she got to the part about meeting Cyfrin, both Ice Dragons leaned forwards on their thrones, looking quite ruffled.

    ¡°An Earth Dragon told you that?¡± the female said incredulously. ¡°Are you bluffing?¡±

    ¡°I told you, Blizzard,¡± the male said dryly. ¡°There is more to the Earth Dragons than we suspect, as I have said many times. Maybe it¡¯s time we listen to the evidence instead of the rumors.¡±

    Blizzard rolled her eyes. ¡°Shut up, Snowstorm.¡± She waved a claw at Kira. ¡°Go on.¡±

    Kira glazed over the part where she left huffily from Cyfrin, rather saying that it was he who had left first. In Kira¡¯s defense, that Dragon had been annoying.

    When she was finally finished, the entire room was silent.

    ¡°So, you have powers granted to you by a wanted Light Dragon so that you can go defeat a Black Dragon that massacred your whole village,¡± Blizzard intoned.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Kira said impatiently. Did they really need to break it down? Didn¡¯t they realize how urgent this was?

    ¡°So you want us to help you¡­how?¡± Snowstorm asked, confusion etched on his snout.

    ¡°Help me find Deya,¡± Kira said. ¡°Now, preferably.¡±

    Blizzard raised an eyebrow. ¡°And what¡¯s in it for us?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me?¡± Kira snapped. ¡°This Dragon will destroy all of Cyalia. That includes your little igloo.¡±

    ¡°We have an army of Dragons,¡± Blizzard responded, rolling her eyes. ¡°What could one Dragon do against us?¡±

    Kira found her anger rising. ¡°If you¡¯re too ignorant to see the danger you have been put in, then die alone!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t speak to the Queen that way!¡± one of the councilors snarled.

    ¡°SHUT UP!¡± Kira shouted. ¡°If you don¡¯t listen to me, you will die, and I won¡¯t cry about it!¡±

    ¡°And how would you know?¡± Snowstorm growled. ¡°You are a fox. We are Dragons. You bow to us!¡±

    ¡°Never!¡± Kira spat. ¡°I don¡¯t bow to anyone.¡±

    ¡°You should,¡± another councilor cried. ¡°There are those greater than you in this room who could easily kill you with one flick of their talons!¡±

    ¡°They can try!¡± Kira lifted her chin and bared her teeth.

    ¡°We just might!¡± An Ice Dragon got up from his seat on the table, but another one pulled him back down.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be crazy, Iceberg!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re all crazy if you¡¯re not preparing for what¡¯s coming!¡± Kira yelled above their shouts. ¡°And it will come, I promise you!¡±

    ¡°GO!¡± Blizzard roared. ¡°You are not welcome here! All you¡¯ve done is pester and shout at my subjects. You have no respect. You clearly don¡¯t care about anyone but yourself! We will never help you! Leave!¡±

    ¡°Fine!¡± Kira flared her wings and glared thunderously at them all. ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll go! You¡¯ll see, you¡¯ll see what¡¯s coming for you! I didn¡¯t need your help anyways!¡±

    And with a snarl, she flew down the archways, burst through the door, and flew out the nearest window, purposefully slamming into any Ice Dragon she could find along the way and biting their tails.

 Chapter 16: Kitnapped

    It was with fury churning through her body that Kira flew over the mountains, high in the air. Every wingbeat channeled her anger through the air. Every breath through her nose was an exhale of rage, rage at the Ice Dragons, rage at the Black Dragon, rage at the world and the sea and the sky.

    Why do I have to do this?

    Kira thought she knew the answer. Her mother had asked her, in her last words. Kira wanted to honor her, to repay for all of the hugs and talks that they never had the chance to give each other. Kira had never been close to her mother, but now she missed her more than anything.

    I can¡¯t do it. I¡¯m sorry.

    ¡°Find the Dragons.¡±

    But, Mother, Kira thought pleadingly, the Dragons aren¡¯t all that they seem. They don¡¯t want to help, and I never saw that coming, and I don¡¯t know what to do, and everyone hates me, like they always have, and always will. I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. This isn¡¯t my fault.

    But was it? Was it her fault? Kira recalled the way she yelled at Deya. How she had spat insults at Cyfrincato while he gave her valuable information, then walked away stating that he was useless. How the last words she ever gave her siblings were those of a whiny, spoiled little fox. Was it her fault that everyone seemed to hate her or lie to her?

    No. It¡¯s their fault.

    Kira shook her head. She wasn¡¯t selfish. Blizzard was wrong.

    Her wings caught a draft in the air, and she turned in the sky. Her anger slightly disappeared in wisps like the clouds around her.

    Where should she go next? Kira¡¯s best guess was to Lelluys. After all, maybe there was someone there who had heard of or seen Deya. Kira had heard a rumor once from the vixens in the village that there were various trading posts and communities full of mixed creatures who weren¡¯t even companions. Maybe she could visit one of those.

    But one other thing the vixens had mentioned was how much crime was there. There were no rules or limitations. Stealing was so common that it was considered as just part of life. Many creatures died there every day, whether of murder or disease and sometimes randomly.

    So was it really that smart to go there for Kira? She was young, she¡¯d never seen crime, and she was looking for a wanted Dragon that was banished from her kingdom.

    But maybe if she found sympathy among these outcasts¡­who knows what information they could give her. If worse came to worse, she could always defend herself using her powers, though she really didn¡¯t know how to control them.

    That settled it. Kira stiffened her resolve and trusted her wings to take her where she wanted.

    Kira watched the sun go down from high in the sky, wondering if Deya was looking at the same sunset, or if she knew that Kira was on her way to rescue the big white Dragon.

    The sun slowly crouched back behind the earth, granting peaceful darkness to the sky. Kira thought it was strange that such a big event in the world passed with total, comforting silence. It made her feel calm.

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    Stars began winking into existence, as if they were scared of the sun and relieved it had finally gone down. Far, far below, Kira could see the Giant Trees of Equellay, stretching their boughs to the sky as if to try and touch the clouds. Nobody knew why the trees in the Equestrian Lands grew so big, but they were colossal¡ªas big as mountains, some even bigger. All around them were plains, with the occasional herd of horses or zebras running through them, and even some donkeys. Kira knew that a section of the Equestrian Lands was actually not ¡°equestrian¡±, but full of antelope and deer as well as some moose and caribou. It looked like she had passed that region a long time.

    Kira watched the moon rise, now less than half of its former glory, when she had last seen it. It was hiding the rest of its face from the world, shielding its secrets in darkness. Kira wondered why the moon went through its cycles¡ªdid it just have random emo phases of its life where it decided that it didn¡¯t want to be seen? Why was part of it always hidden in shadow, except for those special nights?

    Maybe, when all of this was over, Kira could visit Queen Eclipse again and ask her these questions. That thought gave her hope, and a smile flickered across her snout.

    It was then that Kira realized how tired her wings were. It was like as soon as the sun disappeared, her wings began to falter. She quickly steadied in the sky, then drifted down slowly to land in the top of a tree. She could see the Nexus from here, shining silver in the light of the crescent moon.

    Kira thought of her sibling pile, and her heart ached. Even lying next to Deya had given her the satisfaction of knowing someone else was there; that she wasn¡¯t alone in the world of uncertain dreams.

    The little fox curled into a little ball and folded her wings over herself, protecting her face with her fluffy, blue-tipped tail. Her fur pressed into the soft, smooth bark of the tree. Kira thought that was unusual¡ªmost trees had rough, hard bark. It was almost as if these trees grew for shelter and as homes.

    As soon as Kira stilled, her thoughts rushed all over the place. For the first time in a few days, she remembered her nightmare, and the emotions that had accompanied it. She was certain that she had been dreaming about someone, maybe in their mind. But who? Why had those specific emotions come with it?

    It was a mystery, and Kira hated mysteries. She wanted things to be solved right then and right now. But it didn¡¯t seem like that was possible, and it made Kira frustrated.

    No one truly holds all knowledge.

    But why not?

    Kira sighed. Would Cyfrin¡¯s words ever leave her mind?

    You must find your companion.

    She mulled the advice over and over again, until her mind slowed down, as did her breathing. Finally, she drifted off to a fitful sleep, dreaming about cramped, dark rooms and voices in her head.

    A cheerful cardinal call was what aroused Kira in the early morning. She stretched, flexing her sore wings and shedding a few feathers in the process.

    Kira¡¯s stomach rumbled, and suddenly she realized that she hadn¡¯t eaten in at least two days. How had that happened? Normally her stomach alerted her every day, twice a day. She was also incredibly thirsty, so she decided to go down to the Nexus. She spread her wings in a flash of color and lifted off the branch.

    Fish were rather easy to catch, which Kira was glad for. She wasn¡¯t experienced in the art of hunting at all.

    She lapped up the ice-cold water eagerly, soothing her parched throat. Then she straightened and looked around.

    ¡°Time to go to Lelluys,¡± she muttered to herself. Then she took off once again, flying through trees for a little bit before finding a place open to the sky.

    But as she shot through the opening, something caught on her wings, yanking her down with force that rivaled that of the Black Dragon. She was hurtled to the ground, and hit a root with a grunt that knocked the air out of her lungs. Everything was blurred, and her head was spinning.

    ¡°We caught another one!¡± said a gleeful voice. ¡°Oh, the Ringmaster is going to love this! She looks good fighting material, too!¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± another voice sniffed. ¡°You did something right, for once in your life. She will make a great contestant. Let¡¯s take her to the arena.¡±

 Chapter 17: Where Am I?

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s a fox.¡±

    ¡°It has wings.¡±

    ¡°Did you see that it was glowing?¡±

    ¡°What a weird creature.¡±

    ¡°I wonder how it will fight.¡±

    ¡°It looks so young.¡±

    Kira moaned softly and flittered her eyes open. She was greeted by semi-darkness, with very dim lighting in the very corner of her eye. She tried to turn her head, but everything ached. Her back felt like it had been hit by a boulder. Her legs were as stiff as tree branches, and her tail fell limply to one side. Even worse was her wings, which were stinging and complaining like mad.

    But Kira really needed to know where she was, so she ignored the pain and sat up. What she saw made her inhale sharply.

    She was in a cell. It was very, very small, barely roomy enough for her to take two steps in each direction. It was all made of rock, except for a row of metal bars in front of her and a tiny window near the ceiling, also barred.

    Creatures like us can make this stuff? Kira thought. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen the material that those bars are made of.

    Definitely not breakable, though, Kira added with a twinge of despair, folding her wings tight to her body.

    As she did, Kira realized that there was something cold on her wings. Two metal wires held each wing fast. Kira could only unfold her wings very slightly, and it was very painful. Hot anger coursed through her veins at the sight of this. She had only possessed her wings for a little bit, but they were part of her. They were part of what she had left of Deya, and treating them bad was like dishonoring the Light Dragon princess.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s awake.¡±

    ¡°It looks mad.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s so adorable.¡±

    Kira whipped her head around, and saw a few faces peering at her from through the bars. There was another cell directly across from hers, and there were multiple occupants in it. They were all staring intently at her, whispering and pointing.

    There was a lioness, a weasel, and an antelope in the cell. They were all full grown, and the cell was only slightly bigger than Kira¡¯s. It made her feel almost sorry for them to see them squished like that.

    Another thing that alarmed Kira was the fact that they were all covered in scars. Had they gotten them just from fighting with each other? Kira saw claw and teeth marks, as well as what looked like burn scars and a few missing limbs.

    Where am I? Kira thought, slightly panicking. What is this place?

    The last thing she remembered was flying through the trees, and then crash-landing on the ground.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Kira tried, looking at the other animals in the cell. ¡°Can you tell me where I am?¡±

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    They were silent, all staring at her with sad expressions on their faces.

    ¡°Ha!¡± another voice barked. ¡°You¡¯re in your grave, little one.¡±

    Kira glanced around, then ran to the bars and looked from side to side.

    There were cells all down the dark stone hallway she was in. It looked like Kira¡¯s prison was somewhere in the middle of them all. In a cell bordering the cramped one, a fiery red tigress with a missing eye was grinning at her maliciously.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you one of the Black Dragon¡¯s animals?¡± Kira inquired.

    The tigress laughed. ¡°I was. I failed my mission, and he put me in here. There are many more like me here. There is no escape.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t torture the poor thing, Anala,¡± a softer, male voice said. ¡°It¡¯s only her first day. Let her have hope while she still can.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m telling her the truth,¡± Anala snapped. ¡°Better to know what¡¯s what than to have false daydreams.¡±

    ¡°So where are we?¡± Kira asked urgently.

    ¡°The Lelluys Arena,¡± the other voice answered. ¡°A giant arena full of different traitors who are forced to fight one another for other¡¯s entertainment.¡±

    ¡°We¡ªthey¡¯re¡ªI¡¯m going to have to fight?¡± Kira cried.

    Anala snorted. ¡°Not for long, with your size. At least you¡¯ll have a quick death.¡±

    ¡°Says the tiger with one eye!¡± Kira snapped. ¡°Is your aim as bad as your eyesight or is that just the way you were born? If you ask me, I think it was your mother who tossed you in here for being so ugly.¡±

    Anala roared in outrage. ¡°HOW DARE YOU!¡± She slammed into the bars and shook then vigorously, baring her teeth at Kira. Her jagged claws reached through the cage, groping the air.

    She stood her ground, looking defiant.

    Laughs and giggled echoed down the hallway. ¡°Oh, she got you there, Anala!¡± a jackal called, then burst into hysterical laughter.

    ¡°You¡¯ll pay for that,¡± Anala growled.

    ¡°In what? Flowers?¡± Kira jeered.

    ¡°Careful,¡± the male voice warned as Anala burst into another howling fit. ¡°You don¡¯t want Anala as your enemy. Most of the prisoners love her.¡±

    ¡°Do they actually love her, or are they cowering behind the kitty cat?¡± Kira responded, smirking.

    Anala¡¯s screams grew in volume and her remarks turned much more violent. But before she could break the bars with the force of her rage, a loud bang echoed down the corridor. Immediately, every single animal fell silent.

    ¡°QUIET!¡± a commanding voice trumpeted. ¡°The next creature to make a single noisegets thrown to the piranhas!¡±

    All was silent. Footsteps clacked down the corridor. Kira hurriedly lay down and pretended like she just woke up.

    A large, formidable stallion stepped into view. Spiky, bloodstained armor covered his flank and chest, and a helmet rested on his head. His teeth looked like they had been filed until they were razor sharp, and the same for his hooves. His dark brown eyes were narrowed with fury. Old battle scars decorated his body, but they seemed to outline his muscles and make his figure even more terrifying.

    ¡°What is all this racket, Anala?¡± he demanded, glaring at the panting tigress, who was crouched against the back of the cell and looked feral.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± Anala said stiffly. ¡°I was merely proclaiming my status among this new puny prisoner, and she would not listen.¡± She pointed one paw in Kira¡¯s direction.

    The stallion rotated until he was facing Kira. He was silent for a full minute, as was the rest of the prison. He eyed her up and down, tracing every feather with his piercing gaze.

    ¡°Ah, yes, the new one.¡± He stepped even closer, until his head was almost through the bars.

    Kira¡¯s hackles raised, and her tail lashed.

    ¡°Such an odd specimen,¡± the horse muttered, tracing a hoof across the bars absentmindedly. ¡°You would do yourself good to behave, little fox. The arena is not kind to those who think they are better than everyone else.¡±

    Kira said nothing, but her eyes narrowed.

    ¡°Although¡­¡± He smiled, his sharpened teeth glinting in the dim light from the window. ¡°We could use a little more¡­entertainment¡­¡±

    His eyes met hers, and she glared at him with all the rage she could muster.

    He chuckled. ¡°Sleep well, fox. We¡¯ll see how good you are soon. Oh yes¡­I simply can¡¯t wait.¡±

    And he left down the corridor, leaving Kira alone and petrified in her cell.

 Chapter 18: Mess

    Time passed ever so slowly in the darkness of the prison. The only way Kira could tell if a day had passed was when the light from the window faded into darkness.

    Occasionally, guards like the stallion patrolled the hallway, all decked out in spiky armor and wearing smug expressions on their faces. Anala shot glares frequently at Kira, snuffing and snorting angrily. The prisoners did little talking, though sometimes there were bug shouting matches over practically nothing. Kira felt her sanity edging away as she listened to the most recent argument, over how many bars someone had on their cell compared to someone else¡¯s.

    Why are we all at each other¡¯s throats? Kira wondered. If we joined together, we would most likely be able to overpower the guards and get out of here.

    Every once in a while, the guards dragged someone out of their cell. Sometimes they came back.

    Sometimes they didn¡¯t.

    Kira shuddered, thinking of the arena above them. She could hear the jeers and shouts from out of her window. She knew that if she wanted, she would be able to watch the battles. But she didn¡¯t want to. She remembered the flashes of death in her village, the bodies and screams and¡ª

    Don¡¯t think about that, Kira chided herself. It won¡¯t do you any good.

    Behind her, the cheers grew louder. One of the contestants must have succeeded. How could other creatures enjoy that type of entertainment?

    Kira heard the guard door clang open and sat up. The guards didn¡¯t like the prisoners ¡°slacking¡±, as she had found out when the occupant next to Anala was whipped while he was sleeping. The result was that she was jumpy, always perking her ears up, and never fully sleeping.

    Padded feet trotted down the corridor. A wolf, perhaps?

    A loud clang, clang, clang echoed down the hallway. Kira stuck her head between the bars and found most of the other prisoners doing the same. The wolf stood at the end of the corridor, sneering at all of them, a rock in one paw posed above one of the bars.

    ¡°Mess!¡± she called. She began walking from cell to cell, unlocking the doors. Another wolf followed in her wake, prodding the prisoners out of their cells with a spear and forcing them in a line in front of him.

    There were no words exchanged between any of the creatures. Kira was shunted along with them, and they marched to a metal door at the end of the hallway, labeled SECTION 3. The guard in front unlocked it and swung it open, leading them through.

    More cells greeted the line, but they didn¡¯t stop to unlock them. Paws, claws, and hooves reached through the bars, reaching towards them

    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m hungry too!¡±

    ¡°How come we can¡¯t have food too?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re starving us¡­¡±

    ¡°Quite!¡± the front guard barked. ¡°You¡¯ll get your turn soon. Any more complaining, though, and you might not.¡±

    The other prisoners fell silent, though there was much grumbling and muttering.

    ¡°Hurry up,¡± a voice hissed in Kira¡¯s ear. She turned her head to see a large, black, Komodo dragon looking at her grumpily. She stuck her tongue out at him, then continued walking.

    ¡°Give it a few days,¡± he murmured under his breath. ¡°Then you won¡¯t be so cheeky.¡±

    Kira acted like she had not heard.

    The hallways were all curved slightly to the left, and it took a while for Kira to realize that they were circling the arena. It made sense, and it meant that they were at the very grounds of the arena, at the fighter¡¯s level. The windows would all have a very clear view of what was going on.

    They trapsed through six more sections, each one stuffed to the brim with prisoners. Finally, they reached a door titled MESS HALL. The guard swung open the door and shoved the prisoners through it, one by one.

    Kira found herself in a large room, big enough for four Deya-sized Dragons to fit in comfortably. Small tables and platforms where animals could sit were scattered in the space. Near the back, a tray held some chicken, fish, and greens. Torches rested in alcoves on the walls, casting a flickering light on all of them. Five guards sat rigidly along the walls, glaring at the creatures. Other than that, there was nothing else in the stone room.

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    ¡°Remember the rules,¡± the guard called. ¡°No serious fights. No stealing food from others. No arguing with the guards. And no discussing forbidden topics. You all have one hour.¡±

    One hour? Kira thought. Isn¡¯t that a long time?

    The prisoners all murmured assent as the guard clanged the door shut. Then they all made a beeline for the tray, grabbing food greedily and stuffing it in their mouths. Kira ducked under a lion, weaved around a haughty-looking owl, and pounced on a piece of chicken in the tray, putting it hurriedly in her mouth and bolting to a table in the back corner of the mess hall.

    Kira noticed that almost all of the prisoners divided into groups. Anala had the biggest number of followers, and they were all shooting dark glances at Kira. She made a mental note to watch out for them.

    ¡°Hey.¡± A leopard carrying a deer leg joined Kira at the table. She froze, staring at him. Was he going to attack her? What should she do? She¡¯d never eaten with another creature.

    ¡°I heard how you insulted Anala,¡± he continued. Kira¡¯s heart quickened. Was he one of her followers, ready to get revenge on her for Anala? Should she make a run for it? Would the guards notice if she got hurt?

    ¡°I just want to say congratulations.¡± The big cat grinned toothily at her, and relief washed over Kira like a raging tide.

    ¡°Thanks.¡± She smiled back at him.

    ¡°What gave you the guts?¡± he asked, yanking a piece of meat off of the leg with his teeth. ¡°Usually newcomers are the shyest, most scared things in Cyalia. I¡¯ve never seen someone like you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a very talented individual,¡± Kira said casually.

    The leopard raised an eyebrow at her.

    ¡°Oh, all right,¡± Kira gave in. ¡°I¡¯ve yelled at a bunch of Dragons before. That little kitty is nothing compared to them, if you ask me.¡± She blushed was she really bragging about losing her temper? What was happening?

    ¡°Dragons?¡± The leopard¡¯s eyebrows rose even higher. ¡°Is that¡ª¡±

    Whatever he was about to ask, Kira would never know¡ªfor at that moment, Anala approached their table, with five lionesses on her tail.

    ¡°The little kit found a partner, I see,¡± she drawled.

    ¡°The pussy cat needs a gang to insult a little kit?¡± Kira retorted sweetly. ¡°Is the little kitty scared?¡±

    Anala snarled. The leopard laughed.

    ¡°Burn, Anala!¡± he snorted.

    The lionesses behind her all bared their pointed teeth, growling. Kira pretended that they were below her interest, instead delicately peeling chunks of chicken off of her piece and placing them in her mouth. Anala watched, her tail lashing.

    ¡°I can make life miserable for you,¡± Anala purred in Kira¡¯s ear. ¡°I can make you suffer. Feel pain beyond your imagining. Do you really want that?¡±

    ¡°Oh NO,¡± Kira said dramatically, putting one paw to her forehead. ¡°My life is the BEST! I am TOTALLY NOT MISERABLE AS OF RIGHT NOW! It could get SOOOOO much worse, oh no! I¡¯ve never EVER been MISERABLE in my life!¡±

    Even some of the prisoners on the tables next to them chuckled as Anala gave her a livid face.

    Kira went back to her chicken as the leopard began giggling again.

    Then, it all happened in a flash. Anala swiped at Kira, claws outstretched, roaring. Kira ducked, but she wasn¡¯t fast enough. Anala¡¯s claw was going to hit her face, maybe even give her a scar loke the others¡ª

    Suddenly, a blinding light erupted between them, and Anala was thrown backwards across the room and slammed into the wall. Kira stood next to her sitting platform, panting and completely clueless as to what had just happened.

    The mess hall was silent.

    Then the guards began to break out of their daze, and they rushed over to Anala. She was groaning, and her left paw looked burned beyond recognition.

    ¡°What did you do?¡± one of the guards¡ªa hawk¡ªdemanded, stalking up to Kira.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± she cried, putting her paws out in a placating gesture. ¡°She lunged for me, and I tried to cover myself with my wing to protect myself, and then this happened!¡±

    The guard turned to the leopard. ¡°Was this what happened?¡±

    The cat nodded. ¡°Just like she described. Anala lunged, the kit threw her wings above herself, and then something exploded between them.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± The guard looked thoughtful. ¡°We will have to do a more detailed search.¡± He flew on top of one of the tables and screeched, ¡°Everyone out! Back to your cells, until we figure this out! You are allowed to bring your food with you!¡±

    The creatures were quickly rounded up and shoved back into their cells. Many of the other sections stared at them strangely as they hurried by, looking at the food in their jaws or talons.

    ¡°Why do they get to take their food back?¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Why do they look so panicked?¡±

    The guards paid them no heed, but continued ushering them down the hall. Kira kept a low profile, but she could feel the curious and accusing gazes on her.

    She trod into her cell, and noticed that the leopard from the mess hall was in the cell next to hers. He smiled encouragingly at her, and she gave him a weak grin. Then the stone wall was between them both, and the bars were shut.

    As soon as the guards left, the whispers and mutters started. Down the hall, everyone was pointing at her cell, talking about what they had seen. Anala paced her won prison, scowling at Kira and murmuring insults under her breath.

    And the little fox lay in a quiet, curled ball, taking everything in numbly, and wondering if there was something wrong with herself.

 Chapter 19: Training

    After mess, it was a little less dreary in the cell. Sure, there was more whispers and secretive glances that she got, even from the guards, but she could live with those. She¡¯d gotten plenty of them in the village.

    What was the real highlight was the leopard, whose name was Rogue. They had discovered that they could communicate through the window to the arena. It was perfect¡ªnobody could hear them over the noise of the crowd, and neither could the other prisoners.

    One day, though, Rogue made a disturbing comment to Kira.

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to fight,¡± he whispered, ¡°which I think will happen soon¡­you need to be ready. Watch the contestants battle with one another. Take a look at their techniques. Some of these creatures have trained in armies before, and they know their stuff. You say you¡¯ve never fought before? Well, now¡¯s the time to learn.¡±

    The thought of fighting another creature, in this arena, with her wings chained, scared Kira half to death. What could she do? Would her magic save her every time? Was that cheating?

    So she resolved to watch, no matter how painful it was. Reluctantly, Kira got on her hind legs and peered through the window.

    Right now, a rat and an antelope were fighting. At first, Kira thought this was really unfair¡ªrodents¡¯ full size was barely a paw¡¯s length above Kira¡¯s head¡ªbut quickly she realized that the fight was actually rather even. The rat fought viciously, using his claws and teeth constantly, and his tail often wrapped around the antelope¡¯s long legs, making it fall over, where it was easy prey. The antelope could only buck and kick his hooves, which, while sharp, were much to slow for the rat. Soon, the antelope lay on its side on the sandy arena floor, bleeding profusely and not breathing at all. The rat paraded around the arena, waving its paws to the cheers of the crowd.

    So the rat used his small size and sharp claws and teeth to his advantage, Kira observed. I think I could do that. But what if my opponent isn¡¯t as slow as that antelope?

    This thought worried her as the next challenger stepped onto the sand. It was a lizard, long and lean, scales gleaming in the sunlight. A forked tongue darted in and out of her mouth. The rat stopped his victory dance abruptly, facing his new opponent.

    ¡°And now, we have our leading champion, Ezmerelda of the iguanas!¡± a loud, booming voice announced cheerily. ¡°She has won ten fights, which is ten more than most of us have seen.¡± He ended in a chuckle, and then continued, ¡°Three¡­two¡­one¡­FIGHT!¡±

    The rat lunged at the iguana, but that was a mistake. The iguana darted under the rat and sliced his underbelly, and he squealed in surprise. The crowd jeered and laughed at him, while cheering on the iguana.

    The rat quickly recovered, and soon the two were circling each other, swiping their claws and snapping their teeth.

    ¡°And they¡¯re at it!¡± the commentary cried. ¡°And its tooth against claw, each slash taking a toll on both of them! But who will emerge victorious?¡±

    He was right. With every collision, both creatures took many scratches to their bodies. Soon, they were both dripping in blood, and Kira was unsure which one would win. What happened if they both died?

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    The opponents seemed to realize the same thing. In one motion, they flung themselves at each other, claws reaching for the other. However, the iguana changed positions midair, and instead of meeting the rat in the air, she bit his underbelly. He screamed in pain as her body collided with his, and they both tumbled to the earth, the iguana on top.

    ¡°DEATH! DEATH! DEATH!¡± the crowd screamed. The iguana yanked her head back, and Kira looked away as the crowd shrieked in admiration. When she looked back, the remains of the rat were being dragged off by a few servants. The iguana held her head high, and the crowd began throwing gifts at her¡ªflowers and laurels, and even a few jewels.

    ¡°Ezmerelda wins!¡± the announcer shouted. ¡°And that¡¯s it for today¡¯s arena fights, folks! Don¡¯t forget to book your next tickets early in advanced! Get the best seats right next to all the action!¡±

    Kira turned away from the window and fell back on all fours.

    ¡°Did you learn anything?¡± Rogue¡¯s voice whispered.

    ¡°I think so,¡± Kira responded. ¡°But how am I supposed to get like that? I can barely move in here, let alone train to fight for my life against full grown creatures.¡±

    ¡°You have to try,¡± Rogue said insistently. ¡°If you don¡¯t, you¡¯ll go against those creature without any experience. Try a few moves¡ªlike swiping with your paws or dodging an invisible enemy.¡±

    Kira tried. And tried. The more attempts she made, the more she realized how clumsy she was. Her claws were almost dull. When she swiped her paw, it went twice as slow as she thought it would.

    ¡°I think I can improve a few things,¡± she told Rogue.

    ¡°Good.¡± His voice sounded pleased. ¡°Now keep practicing. You never know when your next fight could be.¡±

    Kira practiced. She practiced all day, and the next day, and into the next. Her movements got quicker, and she started filing her claws against the stone, creating claw marks in the cell. Anala watched her every move, chuckling occasionally and snickering. The other cell across Kira was empty now. Kira wondered if that was a blessing or curse to the poor animals who had been trapped in there.

    Kira knew it wouldn¡¯t be enough, but it was all she could do.

    At the next mess, Kira stayed away from everyone except Rogue. She discussed and demonstrated quietly what she could do, facing away from the guards, and Rogue commented and made suggestions.

    ¡°Put a little more force into your forearm when you¡¯re swiping it like that,¡± he recommended. ¡°Like that, yeah. Also, try swiping in different directions, so you can get them from wherever they¡¯re standing. Each opponent has a weakness: Lizards¡¯ underbellies are soft. Rats¡¯ tails are extremely sensitive. Any Equestrian will be slower than others, and they have deep blind spots. If you want to win as of right now, you might want to distract your enemy before you attack, so you have a higher chance of winning.¡±

    ¡°What about tigers?¡± Kira asked, her eyes straying over to where Anala sat with her fan club.

    ¡°Their nose is their weakest point, just like bears,¡± Rogue answered. ¡°However, it¡¯s very hard to get that spot, so be careful.¡±

    Kira nodded, thinking of the trouble she would be in if her first fight was Anala.

    ¡°What happens if both of the opponents don¡¯t want to fight?¡± Kira asked suddenly.

    Rogue looked at her strangely. ¡°They¡­they get killed. You¡¯re not thinking of backing out, are you?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Kira replied quickly, but she wouldn¡¯t quite meet Rogue¡¯s eyes. ¡°I was just¡­I was just wondering.¡±

    Kira looked down at her paws, examining the sharp claws, wondering if they would end up as bloodstained as Anala¡¯s, or if she would turn as cold and tough as the alligators right next to her.

    Don¡¯t think like that, her mind chided itself. You¡¯re doing this in self-defense. You have no other choice.

    But do I? Kira thought. Do I have a choice?

    It certainly didn¡¯t seem so.

    But Kira couldn¡¯t shake the dread she had over the fact that she might have to kill another creature.

    I do. I have to. I have no choice. I have to kill. I have to live.

    I have to escape.

 Chapter 20: Fight

    Morning came, though what time it actually was, Kira did not know. She stretched as much as she could, yawning and flicking her tail.

    She jumped up to look out of the window, and saw that the arena seats were filling. The actual battles wouldn¡¯t start until much later, but those who wanted good seats had to come very early. Some of them had even come last night, and had slept in the stands.

    A pleasant breeze kissed her face, and though Kira no longer had the ability to smile, she felt her heart warm just a little bit. It reminded her of when Deya had sang, and how everything had slowed and reacted at the same time¡ªbut in a gentle, caring way.

    ¡°I will find you, Deya,¡± Kira whispered.

    ¡°Morning to you as well.¡± Rogue¡¯s amused voice reached her ears. She reddened slightly, wondering if he had heard her. If so, he chose not to say.

    ¡°Morning, Rogue,¡± she greeted.

    ¡°How¡¯s your training going?¡± the leopard asked.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s improved,¡± Kira said hopefully. ¡°But I don¡¯t know. What if I go on the arena and find out that my dodging skills are too wonky or my claws are too dull or I¡¯m to clumsy or¡ª¡±

    ¡°Stop worrying,¡± Rogue said sternly. ¡°The more you overthink it, the more likely you are to fail. Trust your instincts. If you think your opponent is playing tricks on you, take no chances. Often, your reflexes can save you as well. Don¡¯t be afraid to attack someone when they¡¯re at their weakest, because they will do the same thing for you. Show no mercy.¡±

    Show no mercy. Kira shivered.

    I can¡¯t think about that.

    I have to do this. For Deya, for Cyalia¡­

    For my mother.

    Kira took a deep breath.

    ¡°And one other thing,¡± Rogue continued. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to the crowd, or the announcer. They will jeer at you. They will try to get you down, and to get you to give up. But you must ignore them. That is a crucial part about fighting in the arena.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that won¡¯t be a problem.¡± Kira smirked.

    She had no problem defying other creatures. Surely this would be no worse than standing up to Tempest.

    As the seats filled in, Rogue and Kira had a debate about what type of creature they would see next.

    ¡°They generally don¡¯t do the same types of creatures twice,¡± Rogue told her. ¡°Or very often, since it makes everything seem kind of dull. So far, they¡¯ve done rodent, equestrian (or from the equestrian lands), lizard, bear, wolf, and alligator, so my bet is on a lion.¡±

    ¡°What if it¡¯s a bird?¡± Kira argued. ¡°Or maybe both¡­¡±

    ¡°Could be,¡± Rogue mused. ¡°My bet is still on lion, though.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go with eagle,¡± Kira said.

    After a few hours, all of the stands filled up, and the announcer was in his booth. Kira craned her neck to try and see what creature he was, but she couldn¡¯t. Rogue said he was a giant alligator, but she hadn¡¯t seen enough of him to know whether Rogue was bluffing or not.

    Rogue and Kira were silent, both wondering who would win the bet.

    Suddenly, the door at the end of the hallway creaked open. A guard clanked down the hallway. Kira expected him to go right past her, but he stopped in front of her cell. It was a hawk. His yellow eyes glared at her from beneath a metal helmet. He had a hooked beak that glinted dangerously in the torchlight, and his talons were encased in razor sharp metal.

    ¡°You¡¯re up in the arena,¡± he croaked. He used his metal talon to unlock the door, and it swung open with a condemning creak. ¡°Come on.¡±

    For once, Kira didn¡¯t want to leave her cell. What if she wasn¡¯t ready? What if she failed? What if she died?

    ¡°Do you need a bit of persuading?¡± the hawk said softly, leaning in closer, eyes not blinking once.

    ¡°N-no,¡± Kira said.

    ¡°Then follow me,¡± he sneered. The hawk stepped out of the door and stalked down the hallway, with Kira on his tail feathers. On the way, she passed Rogue¡¯s cell. He gave her a wink and waved.

    How can he be so confident? Is he just putting on face for me, or does he actually think that I can win?

    And then he was out of sight, and dread lined Kira¡¯s stomach. Her wings twitched nervously in their bindings.

    The hawk led her in the opposite direction of the mess hall. Kira followed anxiously, wondering if today would be the day of her death. Flashes of the Big Field drifted through her brain, and she pushed them to the back of her mind. She didn¡¯t need to think about that right now.

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    They stopped at a wooden door with a small barred window in the middle. The hawk knocked, the metal-on-wood sound echoing down the passageway.

    ¡°What¡¯s the password?¡± a voice grunted from behind the door.

    ¡°Darkness always wins,¡± the hawk hissed in response.

    The door swung open, and they were greeted by the sight of a giant hippopotamus. Kira had never seen one, or even seen pictures of one, but she knew this must be one. The description matched perfectly with the real thing, and there was no other creature she could think of that fit with this one.

    ¡°Another one?¡± he rumbled, sharp teeth flashing as he spoke. His jaws were powerful-looking, and Kira would not want to cross him, ever. He was even scarier than the horse that had greeted her on her first day.

    ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s new.¡± The hawk reached back and shoved Kira through the door.

    The room behind the door was nothing special. It wasn¡¯t even very big, and it was rather dark and gloomy. An entire wall facing the arena was one big gate.

    She could hear the sound of the crowd coming from behind the gate, as well as the arena sands.

    ¡°Here are the rules,¡± the hippo said. ¡°There are none. Everything is fair. Killing is the whole point of this. Just don¡¯t die. Or do. It won¡¯t matter to us.¡±

    The hawk chuckled, and both he and the hippo disappeared behind the door.

    The gate rattled upwards, groaning and clanking. Kira took one step forwards, then another, and then stepped onto the grounds of the arena.

    It was huge. Kira had seen the stands and the grounds from outside her window, but from the floor, it was much, much bigger. The stands seemed to go up and up forever, almost touching the sky, it seemed to her. The announcer (It is an alligator, Kira thought feverishly) sat on a large platform overlooking the fighters, grinning with pointy teeth.

    Across from Kira, on the other side of the arena, a snake slithered onto the sands. He had the grace of a seasoned predator, and the eyes of one who could not be surprised. His tongue flicked in and out, and she knew he could smell her fear. He lifted his head and regarded her with an amused gaze.

    ¡°And here we have,¡± the announcer boomed, ¡°Maximon of the snakes, fighting Kira of the foxes!¡±

    The crowd cheered and booed.

    ¡°Boo! That fox looks only six eclipses old!¡±

    ¡°What, are they putting him up against a child?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way that puny thing will win this!¡±

    ¡°Ha! He¡¯s going to eat her for breakfast!¡±

    ¡°Maximon has won five fights,¡± the alligator commentated. ¡°Our dear little fox, however, has not fought in any battles yet.¡±

    The crowd booed some more. Kira felt small, looking up upon hundreds and hundreds of faces, all gazing down at her like she was scum across their feet.

    Don¡¯t listen to the crowd. You must ignore them.

    Kira took a deep breath and turned her eyes to the snake instead.

    ¡°Three¡­two¡­one¡­FIGHT!¡± the announced roared.

    The snake lunged at Kira, hissing. She dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding his jaws as they clamped shut where she should have been.

    Kira approached her attacker, growling like she was going to clash head on with him. He held his ground, grinning.

    At the last moment, Kira feinted to the left, then swiped to the right. Her claws raked his side, and he hissed loudly in pain. The crowd gasped, then cheered as one.

    The snake shook his head angrily, then slithered after her. Kira danced away, flinging sand in his eyes. He fell over on the ground, and Kira pounced on him.

    In a second, his coils were upon her. The little fox soon found the life being squeezed out of her. Blackness hovered at the edge of her vision, conquering her sight.

    No. I will not die.

    And, as soon as she had that thought, the darkness in her eyes faded, and everything became clear again.

    Thunder boomed, and the snake looked up, confusion on his face. Kira shuddered, feeling some sort of bright energy build up inside of her, waiting to be released. The snake loosened his tail, but it was too late. Lightning burst forth from Kira¡¯s body, reaching its electrical tendrils towards him and enveloping the reptile, leaving him writhing in pain and agony.

    Show no mercy.

    Show no mercy.

    Kira stopped the lightning and pounced on him, putting her paws against his throat.

    But could she land the killing stroke?

    Show no mercy.

    Show no mercy.

    But he has a name! Kira¡¯s thoughts protested, feeling the snake¡¯s scales against her paws. He had a family. Just like¡­just like I did.

    Show no mercy.

    Kira thought about Deya, and what she would say in this situation. Would she justify killing another creature to save her own life?

    No. She wouldn¡¯t, I¡¯m sure of that.

    Kira thought of her mother. Would she be disappointed in her daughter for murdering someone?

    Is it really murder if I¡¯m just trying to survive?

    ¡°DEATH! DEATH! DEATH!¡± the crowd screamed wildly.

    You don¡¯t care about anyone but yourself! Blizzard¡¯s angry words reached her head.

    Show no mercy.

    ¡°DEATH! DEATH! DEATH! DEATH!¡±

    And then Kira looked down at her victim. His eyes were wide, his slit pupils dilated. He was at her mercy, with her claws inches from ending his life.

    And in that moment, Kira smelled him, and he smelled of fear.

    Just like me.

    I can¡¯t kill him.

    Kira stepped off of him.

    ¡°BOOO! DEATH! DEATH! DEATH!¡±

    ¡°Wh-what are you doing?¡± the snake asked, flipping back onto his belly and giving Kira a confused stare.

    ¡°I can¡¯t kill you,¡± Kira confessed.

    ¡°You have to,¡± he said.

    ¡°No.¡± Kira turned away from him and faced the crowd.

    The announcer looked hesitant, and Kira knew why. She had powers. They were dangerous, and they could kill. He knew that, but he also wanted to keep face for the customers.

    ¡°TAKE THEM AWAY!¡± he called.

    The crowd shrieked in outrage. Boos and jeers¡ªsome directed towards the announcer¡ªfilled the arena. Guards marched onto the sands and seized Kira and Maximon, dragging them back through their respective gates.

    But before they went, Kira looked at Maximon, and met his eyes.

    And maybe, just maybe, they were the eyes of a new friend.

 Chapter 21: Shadows and Silence

    The prisoner was getting tired of the prison.

    She didn¡¯t know how long she had been down there, but she knew it was too long. Much, much too long.

    If she concentrated, she remembered inklings of memories from above on the surface. Sunshine. Wind. Grass.

    But they all seemed like a dream.

    This was reality. This dark, cold place, where nothing happy ever reached. It was the only reality that the prisoner could truly remember.

    The shackles around her furry forearms clinked loudly in the usual silence. The prisoner had gotten used to the stillness in the air by now. It filled her lungs, choking out any words she could ever say to keep her sanity, which was long gone. It wrapped around her brain, constricting tighter and tighter until she couldn¡¯t think or hear. It was the phantom that followed her, not making a sound, and yet still present. It made her question whether she was still alive or dead.

    Except, there was less silence now. She didn¡¯t know where exactly they had put the new prisoner, but she could hear the talking.

    She¡¯d done it at first, too. She¡¯d thought that it would help, and that it would give her hope. All it gave her was the biggest sense of being alone. No one was coming for her. No one even knew that she was alive.

    Well, the new prisoner did.

    But that didn¡¯t matter. What mattered was that the prisoner could finally put her plan together.

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    She¡¯d been thinking about it, pondering, editing and re-thinking it, over and over again.

    Is it ready? she thought, one of her first conscious thoughts in many eclipses. It¡¯s ready. Is it ready? I think it is. Is it? It is. She let out a giggle at her own scattered mind. The plan. Ready. How long? Time. Time. Is it ready? The plan. It is.

    She was about to go through it in her mind, trying to find the threads of thought she had managed to string together over the eclipses, when the new prisoner spoke.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re there,¡± the melodious voice called. The prisoner lost concentration, and the bits of her plan disappeared. She glared in the voice¡¯s direction, choosing not to respond.

    ¡°Why did you speak to me before, if you won¡¯t talk now?¡± the new prisoner asked.

    She said nothing.

    ¡°Please.¡± The voice had dropped to a whisper now.

    The prisoner¡¯s furry ears flicked, but she sat still. Her heart longed to make contact, to talk and talk to this new entity that had entered her world, but she could not express such weakness. If she wanted her plan to work, she had to stay strong.

    Why are they here? her thoughts asked, drifting once again into a dark whirlpool. Who are they?

    Is it ready?

    Darkness.

    They told me not to run.

    They told me they would kill them.

    Where are they?

    I will kill him.

    Is it ready?

    How long have I been down here?

    They will come for me.

    I am all alone.

    It is.

    The plan.

    Why?

    It¡¯s a maze. A maze of madness.

    I won¡¯t ever get out.

    The items. The items on the wall. Swim, cut, breathe, hang.

    Focus, the one sane part of her hissed. The plan. The plan. It is ready.

    She searched once again, and this time she found what she was looking for. She gleefully put it together, giggling madly. It would work. She knew it.

    Now all she had to do was wait.

 Chapter 22: Hope

    Rogue was furious with Kira.

    ¡°Why would you do that?¡± he growled at her as soon as she got back from the fight, shaking uncontrollably. She laid down in the corner of her cell and put her head on her paws.

    ¡°I c-c-couldn¡¯t kill him,¡± Kira protested meekly. ¡°I just couldn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll be dead,¡± Rogue snapped. ¡°They¡¯ll come after you for it. Everyone will think you¡¯re weak.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not,¡± Kira shot back angrily. ¡°Actually, the weak option is to kill the creatures, not the other way around. It¡¯s the easy way out. ¡®Why save another creature¡¯s life if, by killing them, I can live another day?¡¯ We pretend like we don¡¯t have any options, but we do. True bravery would be to stand up to those who put us in here instead of sniveling around and murdering our fellow cellmates without any hesitation. It¡¯s easy to drop someone off of a cliff. It¡¯s harder to pull them back up again. If none of you can see that, then maybe you all need a smack upside the head.¡±

    Rogue was silent. It took a while for Kira to realize, but the entire cellblock was quiet as well. Anala was looking at her strangely. Kira gazed back defiantly and lifted her chin.

    Then a gravelly voice broke the silence. ¡°She¡¯s right, you know.¡±

    Kira¡¯s eyes widened. She recognized that voice! It was the snake she had saved, Maximon. Her heart lifted, and she smiled.

    Section 2 of the arena burst into applause, and Kira soon found herself beaming. They thought she was right!

    It may not have been the best day of her life, but it was close.

    <hr>

    At the next Mess, everyone was shooting Kira admiring glances. She tried to look inconspicuous, but in reality she was dancing around inside. Everyone talked in hushed voices instead of the normal shouts and arguments. The guards looked suspiciously at each of them, most likely wondering what caused the change in the atmosphere, but they couldn¡¯t call anyone out.

    Kira grabbed a piece of chicken and walked to her usual table with Rogue. He talked with her about the fight, discussing the announcer and what might happen to Kira.

    Suddenly, Maximon slithered over and joined their table.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Rogue said, raising an eyebrow.

    ¡°Hello,¡± Maximon hissed humbly. ¡°I came to your table because I would like to become¡­acquaintances with the one who saved my life. I thank you greatly, white fox.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Kira said kindly. ¡°And it¡¯s just Kira. We were talking about what might happen if everybody stopped killing.¡±

    ¡°It would most likely stop the arena, eventually,¡± Maximon said, looking thoughtful. ¡°But many, many lives would be lost before the Groundmaster would be willing to stop the operation. Business here is very big. It would take a lot to topple the foundations of the arena.¡±

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    Kira ducked her head, knowing that the snake was right. ¡°We can¡¯t just stay here,¡± she decided, lowering her voice for the sake of the guards. ¡°I¡¯m going to find a way out of here eventually, no matter what it takes. I will spend all of my time thinking of a plan. Who knows? Maybe when we escape, we¡¯ll bring the arena down with us.¡±

    Rogue stared at her skeptically. ¡°I admire your optimism.¡±

    Maximon looked doubtful as well. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll escape through sheer determination, however hard we try.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll come up with a plan,¡± Kira said. ¡°I know it.¡±

    <hr>

    Or she thought she did, at least.

    Three nights later, Kira lay curled up in her cell, staring aimlessly at the wall, wondering if Rogue and Maximon were doing the same thing in their own cells.

    How hard can it be to come up with a plan to break out of here? Kira thought, frustrated.

    At least we¡¯re thinking about it. At least we haven¡¯t given up hope.

    Kira sighed. The days had not gone by peacefully. Her refusal to fight seemed to have inspired several other prisoners. Unfortunately, the ones who did not fight did not have as equally merciful opponents as Kira had. Many of them had been brutally murdered by creatures who took advantage of their pacifism. She was worried that, seeing the results of not fighting, the other prisoners would go back to the way they were before.

    However, Section 2 seemed to improve further. They found loopholes through the system at each fight, some sparing their opponents¡¯ lives straight out, while others merely knocking them out or seriously injuring them beyond repair. Kira knew that it was better for there to be no injuries, but whatever worked best. She found herself glowing with pride for these creatures each fight.

    Which led her to another question about her plan: could she take all of them with her?

    Kira had been debating this for hours on end. It seemed unfair that she would get to escape while the other fighters had to stay in this torture house, but to get them all out at once would be huge operation beyond her capabilities.

    There was only one way to conquer this dilemma: she had to bring down the arena with her.

    It was terrible anyways. Why should all the murder and torture persist further? It was better to get rid of all of it when she could. If she could at all.

    What if they¡¯re all depending on me, and I fail them?

    She thought about Deya. What would the Dragon Princess do in this type of situation?

    Probably sing to everybody and then convince them all to not fight, Kira thought miserably.

    But I can¡¯t do that.

    Can I?

    When she had received Deya¡¯s powers¡­had she received her musical ability as well?

    Only one way to find out.

    Kira took a deep breath. She had never sung before. What if she sounded like a deranged magpie who just woke up? Would everyone laugh at her?

    Calm down, Deya¡¯s voice coached in her head. Nobody hates you. Sing from your heart, not your lungs. Put your emotions into your notes.

    I will do my best, Kira thought back.

    She took another deep breath, then reached into her heart and sought out the strongest feelings. Then she opened her mouth and sang aloud.

    The notes that came out were more emotion than music. Kira found herself broadcasting her loneliness as she grew up, and how everyone shunned her and left her alone. Then she sang about her sorrow as her village was destroyed and her fellow creatures slaughtered. She sang about her fear and exhilaration at her first flight, and her wonder at the Moon Dragon Palace. Every note was clear and carrying.

    And lastly, to conclude the song, Kira sang of her faith and determination. Without any words, she told her cellmates that they would all find a way out, eventually. Everything would be fine.

    And, as she dwindled off into the silence of the night, Kira felt that she had given the prisoners something they hadn¡¯t had in a long, long time: hope.

 Chapter 23: I Wont Kill You

    Nobody said anything about Kira¡¯s singing the next day, but she could tell that the atmosphere was much brighter in the cellblock. Prisoners that passed by on their way to the arena often glanced in her cage, some curious and others admiring.

    It appeared that the entire arena had heard Kira. None of the prisoners fought with one another that day, much to the disappointment of the crowd and the announcer. Kira was surprised that they were getting away with this, and she wondered how long they would let it continue.

    The next day, Kira was summoned once again to fight in the arena. Only, this time it was different.

    As she walked onto the arena, Kira noticed that not one but two opponents were looking back at her across the sands. Rogue had told her that it happened occasionally, but she had never seen it before in her days as a prisoner.

    Will both of them listen to me? Kira thought, unsure of herself. Her tail twitched nervously, and her ears folded back.

    One of them was a white weasel. He smirked viciously at Kira as she walked on, clearly noticing her doubtful stature. His paws were bloodstained, and his expression not entirely sane. One of his ears was torn, and he had several scars along his body and across his tail.

    The other was a beautiful purple-grey falcon, who was examining her razor-sharp talons as if she didn¡¯t have a care in the world. Her feathers were perfectly pristine, and her silver eyes were sharp and alert. Her wings, like Kira¡¯s, were bound to her sides with black cords. Somehow, she still managed to look graceful despite the weird-looking additions.

    ¡°And here on the battling grounds, we have¡­¡± the announcer started, ¡°Dainn of the Weasels, who has won three consecutive fights in a row, Laila of the Falcons, who has won twenty fights in a row, and Kira of the Foxes, who has won exactly zero fights.¡±

    The crowd jeered and booed. Kira suspected that everyone here had not witnessed her last fight, and that the announcer had purposefully failed to go into detail about it. She wondered what would happen if word were to spread about the arena and what actually happened inside.

    ¡°Zero?¡± Dainn sneered. ¡°What a loser!¡±

    Laila rolled her eyes. Kira said nothing.

    ¡°Three¡­¡± the announcer called. ¡°Two¡­one¡­FIGHT!¡±

    Dainn made the first move, lunging at Kira. She ducked and swung around to face him, tail swishing behind her. She bared her teeth at him.

    Something slammed into Kira from behind, and she twisted to see Laila digging her talons into Kira¡¯s back. Pain shot through the fox, and white lightning blasted Laila off of her in a bright flash. The falcon flew high in the air, then shot down to the earth and landed majestically on her feet, skidding backwards in the dirt.

    ¡°You gonna use your magic to protect you the whole time, coward?¡± Dainn taunted. ¡°Or are you going to fight like a real creature?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have to fight,¡± Kira said, trying to keep her voice steady.

    ¡°You only say that because you know I¡¯m going to kill you,¡± the weasel replied smarmily, circling around Kira. In the corner of her eye, Kira saw Laila approaching them, but she kept her focus on Dainn.

    He lunged, sharp teeth showing. Kira ducked once again, but this time she rolled on the ground to come up from behind the weasel. She pounced on him, and her anger made her eyes blaze white. She ended up on top of him, one paw on his chest and the other on his throat.

    Dainn growled and squirmed, trying to bite Kira, but she clawed at his face and he stopped, blood pouring down his cheek through the three deep lines she had created. He twitched, gazing up at her fearfully.

    ¡°I will not kill you,¡± Kira told him, lifting her chin. ¡°I will merely break you until you¡¯re unrecognizable. Do you really want that?¡±

    ¡°Just do it,¡± Dainn snapped. ¡°What is wrong with you? How hard is it to kill me? All it takes is you twisting my head one inch too far, and everything ends for me.¡±

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    ¡°No,¡± Kira said.

    Dainn snorted, then wriggled out from underneath her. Startled, Kira whipped around, backing up at the same time, but she was too late. Dainn swiped at her, and in the next moment all Kira could see was his sharp claws coming towards her face. Then all she knew was pain, pain in her eye and down her cheek and all throughout her head.

    Kira cried out, covering her eye with one paw. She tried opening it, but all she saw was red. When she took away her paw, she could see blood all over it with her other eye.

    ¡°That¡¯s what you get for not killing me!¡± Dainn yelled dancing around her.

    Kira growled, and her gaze went white once again. Kira couldn¡¯t see properly, but she was pretty sure that her eyes were emitting white smoke as well as tears.

    Kira ran at Dainn and crashed into him with all the force she could muster, toppling him over and putting her on top of him once again. Blood poured into her eye, but she hardly cared.

    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Dainn breathed. ¡°Do it. Stop being a scaredy-fox.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Kira dug her claws into his fur. ¡°Yield, weasel, or face never walking again.¡±

    ¡°Never.¡± Dainn snapped his teeth at her, but his neck couldn¡¯t reach.

    ¡°Then you leave me with no choice,¡± Kira said mournfully.

    She steeled her resolve, then took his front leg and used her back leg to push hard on it. She could feel the limb flexing under the pressure of her foot. It broke with a crack, and Dainn screamed.

    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to step down?¡± Kira asked, a little shaky at what she had done, but still ready to do whatever it took to save this weasel¡¯s life.

    ¡°No,¡± Dainn refused. He looked at his arm and winced but gave Kira a defiant look.

    Kira shrugged, then moved onto the next arm. It too broke, and tears of pain rolled down Dainn¡¯s cheeks. He said nothing, merely lashing his tail and struggling slightly under Kira¡¯s grip.

    ¡°DEATH! DEATH! DEATH!¡± the crowd shouted. Kira glared up at them angrily, cursing their thirst for blood and violence.

    That was her big mistake.

    While she was distracted, a purple and grey blur shot under her arms and snatched Dainn out from under her.

    ¡°NO!¡± Kira screamed, reaching towards the weasel. Laila took one emotionless glance at Kira, then placed her talons on his neck. Dainn pushed against the falcon with his back legs weakly, looking terrified. The crowd cheered.

    Kira ran across the sands, but she knew she wouldn¡¯t reach Dainn in time.

    Laila looked Kira straight in the eye and snapped the weasel¡¯s neck, then dropped his limp body on the floor.

    The crowd screamed and yelled, and the announcer cheered as well.

    ¡°And Laila goes in for the kill!¡± the alligator cried smugly. ¡°Now we¡¯ll see how well the little fox does against this ferocious predator!¡±

    Kira and Laila faced off, staring at each other. Despite how hard Kira searched, she couldn¡¯t see any trace of feeling in the falcon¡¯s gaze. Her eye flickered to Dainn¡¯s body on the ground, then back up to the falcon.

    ¡°Why did you do that?¡± Kira asked.

    ¡°I had to,¡± Laila intoned, approaching. ¡°We will die otherwise.¡±

    ¡°No, we won¡¯t!¡± Kira cried. ¡°We can change things here. We don¡¯t have to fight.¡±

    ¡°Why would you spare me over your own life?¡± Laila tilted her head quizzically at Kira. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to live?¡±

    Kira gazed at the ground. Did she want to live, with the burden of the world on her shoulders and the sorrow of death in her mind? Wouldn¡¯t it be easier to die?

    ¡°You only care about yourself!¡± Blizzard had said.

    ¡°I¡¯m opening up to you. Can¡¯t you see that?¡± Deya¡¯s voice penetrated her headspace.

    I don¡¯t want to be selfish anymore.

    ¡°I may want to live,¡± she said slowly, ¡°but I don¡¯t want other creatures to die for that to be possible.¡±

    ¡°Interesting.¡± Laila raised her eyebrows. ¡°So, tell me, right now¡­why shouldn¡¯t I kill you?¡±

    Kira looked into Laila¡¯s eyes. Right then, everything seemed muffled. The roar of the crowd, the screams of the announcer, the blood running down her face¡­it all was deafened in her mind as Kira considered the question.

    ¡°I guess I don¡¯t have a reason,¡± Kira said. ¡°I¡¯m no more significant that anyone else here in this arena. I know why I want to live, but I don¡¯t know why I need to live. But can anyone really answer that question?¡±

    Laila paused. ¡°Maybe not.¡±

    And then she backed away.

    ¡°BOOOOO!!¡± the crowd howled. ¡°BLOOD! WE WANT BLOOD!¡±

    Kira looked up at Laila with her painless eye, tears of mixed emotions building up inside.

    I convinced another creature. Deya would be so proud.

    Laila turned around and glared at the crowd, then called, ¡°If you want blood, do it yourself!¡±

    Then she turned and stalked off to the archway she had come from, holding her head high.

    Kira looked reverently at her, wondering if she could ever muster that much dignity and grace in such a place as this.

    And so she walked slowly back towards her cell, happiness in her heart and light in her soul despite her the pain in her face and body.

 Chapter 24: The Dawn of Darkness

    The Dragon sat on the cliff, gazing out over the horizon and admiring the sunset. The sun was blood red, due to all the smoke in the air. The fires were still burning, and probably would for weeks to come.

    He knew this. In fact, it was he who had started the fires in the first place. He would rebuild this place, and from the ashes there would be a new era reborn¡ªan era of darkness and light together. For so long, darkness had been kept back, held below the rule of those who disregarded the shadows as scum beneath their talons.

    But when he was done, the world would be fixed, and he would rule above it.

    Already, they had conquered the biggest kingdom, the Fox Lands. It was quite an achievement, if he did say so himself. They had made themselves known. Everything was going according to plan.

    Even that fox that had allied with the Dragon Princess was subdued, according to his servants. Chained in an arena, not even able to fly. The Dragon Princess herself was imprisoned as well, in a place where no one would ever be able to find her.

    The Dragon breathed in and out in the blissful silence, punctured only by the occasional crackle of flames in the distance. Their attack on the Moon Dragons had only been slightly successful¡ªthey had imprisoned most of the army, but the queen and the rest of the Moon Dragons still remained at large.

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    Oh well, he thought viciously. If they want to beat us, they can try.

    He chuckled to himself as he thought of how exactly he would slaughter them all.

    His thoughts turned to his secret home, hidden between the surface and under the ground. His little servant might be insane right now, but he wasn¡¯t sure¡ªshe had a surprisingly resilient mind for such an anxious creature.

    I don¡¯t have to worry about her. I don¡¯t have to worry about anything, now that I have my army. The Dragon smiled with the satisfaction of his accomplishments, relishing the moment alone on the cliff.

    The breeze stirred, and a white hair drifted past the Dragon¡¯s eye. Startled, he reached out and snatched it out of the air, lifting it to his nose and sniffing it.

    Fox.

    He should have figured that the Fox had been here. He looked around with a more scrutinizing eye, and noticed tiny details that he had overlooked before: the traces of Dragon footprints, the scent of magic in the air, the colorful feathers littering the pine trees.

    The Dragon snorted angrily, his moment of happiness gone. Couldn¡¯t he have one moment alone without encountering some sort of light magic pollution?

    Apparently not.

    But I¡¯m going to change that, he thought with fury. When I¡¯m done, this world will be unrecognizable.

    He stared out at the disappearing sun once more, grabbing a feather and crushing it between his claws.

    And when I¡¯m done, darkness will roam free at last.

 Chapter 25: Crossover

    Kira looked for Laila at the next Mess, but she didn¡¯t see her. She realized that the falcon must be in a different section than Kira, Maximon, and Rogue.

    ¡°We need to find a way to contact her,¡± Maximon hissed quietly. ¡°We need all the allies we can get.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Kira sighed. ¡°But I don¡¯t know how. It¡¯s not like she¡¯s right outside my window. It¡¯s hard enough to talk to you, Maximon. But I fear that we may never be able to contact Laila.¡±

    Rogue looked deep in thought. Ever since Kira¡¯s first fight, he had been awfully quiet. He had been the one to tend to Kira¡¯s eye wound, since she couldn¡¯t see it. She could now look out of it and see fine, but both Rogue and Maximon had told her that she had a large scar across that eye.

    ¡°I¡¯ll figure out a way,¡± Maximon said fiercely. He looked at Kira, and it took a while for the fox to realize that he was looking for her permission.

    She nodded to him, looking serious. ¡°I trust you, Maximon.¡±

    <hr>

    It took almost a week for Maximon to come up with a plan. Kira knew this because they had two messes each week, and nothing happened for both of them.

    Before Deya and the massacre of her village, Kira would have gotten angry with Maximon and maybe traded some insult with him. After all, she still wanted to hurry as much as possible (despite being trapped in an inescapable arena).

    She sighed, thinking of how much of Cyalia the Black Dragon might have conquered by now. Flashes of bloodstained fields littered with bodies flitted in and out of her vision, along with the sounds of screaming and the crackle of flames. A vision of her bloodstained paws came as well, covered in her own blood and Dainn¡¯s.

    Your fault, rang through her head. It¡¯s your fault he¡¯s dead. It¡¯s your fault Deya¡¯s gone.

    All your fault. All your fault.

    Deep breaths, Kira thought, trying to calm herself. Her heartbeat rang loudly in her ears. She was shaking all over, and when she looked down, Kira realized that she had scratched herself on the leg until she drew blood.

    How did that happen? she wondered.

    She tried not to think about it throughout the day as she watched the ¡°fights¡± in the arena.

    There was a lot of confusion nowadays. The new creatures that were captured and imprisoned were told by most of the prisoners that they had to fight, and yet watched the creatures on the actual arena not fighting. It led to a lot of awkward conversations on the arena grounds, and Kira could tell that the chaos would only build the more creatures that were caught.

    They had to do something about it, and fast.

    Finally, after about six days of waiting, Maximon contacted Kira.

    During one of the arena fights, a swan came up to Kira¡¯s window. ¡°Are you Kira?¡± the timid bird asked.

    ¡°Um, yes,¡± Kira responded, confused. She¡¯d never had anyone come up and talk to her while having a fight.

    The swan glanced around nervously, but everyone¡¯s attention was focused on her opponent¡ªa blind mole, who was searching for her, but clearly could not see that well.

    ¡°Maximon has a message for you,¡± the white bird whispered.

    This caught Kira¡¯s attention. ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°He says¡ª¡± the swan broke off as the announced made another comment, but it was just about the mole. ¡°He says, ¡®I have a plan, and I will put it into action tomorrow. However, you will not see the results until the next mess. I can only hope it will be successful, but I think it is entirely foolproof.¡¯ He wanted me to let you know not to worry.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Kira said kindly. She leaned closer to the window. ¡°And a little bit of advice? Courage is rather easy to gather. It¡¯s just hard to find. Once you know where to look, fear will never be a problem for you.¡±

    The swan smiled, then went back to her fight with more bounce in her step than before. Kira didn¡¯t witness the rest of it, as she was too busy pondering her message, but she could guess from the ¡°boos¡± of the crowd that the swan was doing well.

    <hr>

    It turned out, Kira didn¡¯t need to wait until next mess to receive the news¡ªone of the top guards had been poisoned. When Kira listened to more of the rumors, she found that the guard was the head of Section 5, and also the director of Section 5¡¯s Mess Hall visits. Luckily for them, Section 5 was going to have Mess with Section 2, who had less creatures than any of the other sections and could afford to dine with another. Surprisingly for the guards, the prisoners did not grumble or complain. In fact, many of the creatures were whispering excitedly with one another.

    ¡°We might be able to convince more creatures this way!¡±

    ¡°I heard Section 5 was one of the meanest sections. Maybe it¡¯s up to us to change that!¡±

    ¡°What do you think will happen?¡±

    ¡°Whatever we do, we can¡¯t start any fights.¡±

    Kira grinned at these words. The prisoners were changing, all because of her! She remembered their hardened faces and tough personas at first, but they were growing stronger in their defiance against the arena and those who made it.

    There were several big signs of change. The other day, Kira had tripped over a rat¡¯s tail while in the mess line for food. The rodent had helped her up, squeaked ¡°So sorry, ma¡¯am!¡± and then let her go ahead of him. It was great.

    The guards usually told off anyone who talked, but even the stallion from Kira¡¯s first day here couldn¡¯t have scared these prisoners into submission today. The chatter in the cellblock echoed all the way down. Through the noise, Kira and Rogue managed to discuss what had happened.

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    ¡°No doubt, this is Maximon¡¯s doing,¡± Rogue stated. ¡°This is perfect.¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Kira agreed heartily.

    Mess couldn¡¯t come soon enough. Right as the guards started unlocking the cells, prisoners practically ran out of them, eager to go to the Mess Hall.

    They arrived at the door, and Maximon sidled up to them.

    ¡°This is our moment,¡± he hissed. ¡°Be on the lookout.¡±

    They all complied, squinting down the hallway to see if there were any prisoners approaching.

    ¡°It appears that we got here first,¡± Rogue commented.

    The guards opened the door, and they filed into the large chamber. There was more food than usual, which was expected.

    ¡°Line up on the right wall,¡± one of the guards barked, banging his spear on the ground to get them to listen. Everyone complied, and the air buzzed with the anticipation.

    There was silence for a minute, and then Kira heard footsteps from down the corridor. She held her breath.

    The door slammed open, and more prisoners came through. Kira craned her neck, looking for a bit of purple-grey in the crowd, but it was hard to discern between the creatures.

    One thing was for sure¡ªthese captives were not at all happy to be here. In fact, it looked as if they had never been happy in their entire lives. They shot glares at everyone around them, punched one another to get in line, and hissed if a single whisker was touched on them.

    Section 2 waited patiently for them to settle down, and then the guards stepped forwards.

    ¡°You all are here together because one of our leaders is¡­absent. Section 2 will get their food first, and then Section 5. You are allowed to combine tables. No talking, as usual. Any prisoners who don¡¯t get any food will go hungry. Every creature for himself. No fights, and keep the yelling to a bare minimum. You may start.¡±

    Section 2 moved forwards, each of them automatically pushing the smallest and the frailest to the front of the line. Kira found herself pushed forwards next, along with a wolf cub about her age. Each of them picked an even amount of food, then went over to their respectable tables, bunched closer together than before.

    The creatures in Section 5 sniffed disdainfully, trading glances with one another.

    ¡°What a bunch of goody-two-claws.¡±

    ¡°Weaklings.¡±

    ¡°Babies.¡±

    ¡°Letting the smallest go first? Ha! Let them die, I say. They¡¯re better off that way.¡±

    A mouse less than half the size of Kira stepped forwards angrily. ¡°What if you were one of the small and weakened? You wouldn¡¯t be saying that then!¡±

    The animals in Section 2 murmured their assent. The creature who made the offense, a large lion, looked surprised, then amused.

    ¡°Oh yeah? And what are you going to do about it, tiny?¡±

    The mouse looked furious. But before things could escalate, Kira went to his side and placed a paw on his shoulder.

    ¡°Leave it be,¡± she said firmly. ¡°Anger isn¡¯t the way.¡±

    The mouse looked up at her for a moment, then nodded and walked back to his table, hugging his lettuce leaves. Kira stared after him, then returned to her own table and greeted Rogue and Maximon.

    ¡°Section 5, you may go,¡± the guard commanded. The animals surged to the food, growling and snapping. Some creatures were trampled under the stampede. Others were thrown aside as the strongest got their fill. Eventually, the bin emptied, with the smaller animals staring longingly at the piles of food the bigger creatures had mustered.

    Kira¡¯s brow furrowed. This is so wrong! she thought fiercely.

    Time to change things around here.

    She rose out of her seat, gripping her own half-eaten chicken leg in her mouth. Then she walked over to a shivering tiger cub who looked extremely malnourished. Her ribs were prominently showing, and there were many chunks of fur missing in her body as well as scratches, as if she had been bullied and teased many times over.

    ¡°Here,¡± Kira whispered, dropping the rest of her chicken leg in front of her.

    The kitten gasped, then gave her a nervous glance. ¡°Really? This¡ªthis isn¡¯t a trick?¡±

    Kira shook her head. ¡°No. I wouldn¡¯t do that to you. Take it; you need it.¡±

    ¡°Th-thank you,¡± the kitten breathed. She snarfed down the leg in two big gulps, then grinned gratefully at Kira. The white fox smiled, then walked back to her table once more.

    Soon, everyone in Section 2 was doing the same. By the time all of the unfed animals had some food, half of Section 5 was sitting with the Section 2 animals. Meanwhile, creatures started whispering.

    ¡°It¡¯s her.¡±

    ¡°The one who won¡¯t fight.¡±

    ¡°The one with magic.¡±

    ¡°They say it was her who sang that night.¡±

    ¡°Who is she?¡±

    ¡°Hey.¡± The whispers were deafened as a purple and grey falcon sat down next to Kira at their table.

    ¡°Laila!¡± Kira cried, smiling broadly. Laila merely stared at her, but Kira knew she was happy to be there, despite her lack of enthusiasm.

    ¡°How did you manage it?¡± Laila whispered. ¡°I know it was you. There¡¯s no way that guard was so conveniently poisoned to put your section with mine.¡±

    ¡°It was all Maximon.¡± Kira swept one caged wing towards the snake, beaming.

    ¡°A pleasure to meet you,¡± Maximon hissed, bowing his scaled head. ¡°I am Maximon.¡±

    ¡°And that lovely leopard over there is Rogue,¡± Kira added, gesturing to him. He waved and grinned.

    ¡°Now, Maximon, would you care to explain how you got us here?¡± Rogue asked, raising an eyebrow at him. ¡°I, for one, am extremely curious as to how you managed this feat.¡±

    ¡°It was easy,¡± he replied. ¡°First, I read the guard rules from a newbie passing by my cell. I figured out that if one of the higher-ups above a section goes out of commission, they are to combine with another section¡ªpreferably the least hostile section. Then, on one of my fights, I saw the guard ranking wall. I learned the exact time the head of Section 5 would pass by me on my way to a fight, then I distracted my guards, bit him, and injected a small bit of my venom¡ªenough to leave him sick for a long time but not enough to kill¡ªinto him, and here we are.¡±

    ¡°Brilliant.¡± Kira shook her head. ¡°I had my doubts, but from now on I will trust you completely.¡±

    Maximon looked bashful. ¡°It was just a matter of simple spying,¡± he said humbly.

    ¡°Honestly, that¡¯s impressive,¡± Laila said tonelessly. ¡°I don¡¯t think I could do something like that. But why did you do that?¡±

    ¡°To talk to you, Laila,¡± Kira said. She lowered her voice to a whisper. ¡°We want to escape, but we haven¡¯t come up with a plan yet. We need all the help we can get.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible, right?¡± Laila asked. ¡°I mean, nobody has escaped in the whole history of this place.¡±

    ¡°Well, we¡¯re going to be the first,¡± Kira said fiercely. ¡°We can¡¯t just sit around here like depressed lumps¡ªnot when we¡¯re changing things for the better. These animals deserve to see their families again.¡±

    Laila nodded, staring at the wall for a moment. ¡°We would need a distraction and an exit. All of the exits are locked, I think¡ªand even if we could get a key to all of them, they¡¯re all guarded.¡±

    ¡°There are fifteen exits, five on each layer of the arena,¡± Maximon supplied. He used his tail to draw a circle in the dust of the floor, then scribbled five archways spaced out along them. ¡°There¡¯s the outer layer, which is the most heavily defended.¡± He tapped the drawing. ¡°Then there¡¯s the second layer, which holds the guard¡¯s homes, and the booths of food for the guests, as well as the weapons room.¡± He drew a smaller circle inside the big one, and once again spaced out five archways. ¡°Finally, there¡¯s the last layer, where the prisoners are kept.¡± He drew a tiny circle inside the previous ones, dotted with even more exits.

    ¡°How do you know all of this?¡± Rogue¡¯s eyes were as wide as giraffe¡¯s hooves as he observed the drawings in the dust.

    Maximon chuckled. ¡°I just observe very carefully. Unlike the rest of you, I was not knocked out when they brought me in¡ªonly pretending to be. They had weakened me too much, otherwise I would¡¯ve caught them by surprise and escaped.¡±

    He erased the drawings on the ground before the guards could see them.

    ¡°So, whatever distraction we use, it has to be big,¡± Laila said, tapping her claw on the dirt in thought. ¡°This will require some advanced planning.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll come up with one,¡± Kira said. ¡°We have to.¡±

 Chapter 26: Liraz and Light

    The leader of Section 5 continued to worsen in his condition, and his section kept having mess with Section 2. Laila became closer and closer to Kira, Rogue, and Maximon as each meal went by.

    With the other creatures in her section, not so much. Many of them had made friends in Section 2, but large swaths of them did not want to change. Kira supposed it was because they already had it good for themselves.

    Still, even the ones who were making new friends stayed mostly the same. They believed that killing was the only way to survive, and it didn¡¯t look like they would turn away from that belief any time soon, despite how hard Section 2 tried.

    Kira was now at ten fights, each one ¡°failing¡± miserably. She knew the other Sections were whispering about her¡ªsome bad, some good. Some said she was going to kill them all with her antics; that eventually the Grandmaster would have enough and kill everyone who disobeyed. Kira had yet to meet this ¡°Grandmaster¡±, however, so she was skeptical.

    Others said she was changing things for the better. It saddened Kira when she learned that some of the prisoners had been here for eclipses. She had only been here for half an eclipse.

    The realization made her heart crack. Six and a half moon cycles since she and Deya had been separated. Six and a half moon cycles since her village was massacred and she was given a mission.

    A mission she was failing to complete.

    Kira gazed at the half-moon in the sky, barely visible through the hole at the top of the arena. The stands seemed to reach all the way up, covering any sight of the stars.

    I¡¯m sorry, Deya. I¡¯m trying. I¡¯ll find you; I promise.

    And then she would have to find a way to defeat the Black Dragon.

    The task seemed impossible. Her, a 12-eclipse-old fox kit challenging one of the most powerful Dragons in Cyalia?

    She remembered Tempest, and thought about how she had challenged him straight up without any fear. That felt like eclipses ago¡ªwhen she was so brash and uncaring.

    Now, she would do things differently. She would get to know Deya better instead of shunning her for being a Dragon. She would accept the Ice Dragon¡¯s help, and be more patient with Queen Eclipse. She wouldn¡¯t have pushed away Cyfrincato¡¯s offer.

    Kira felt in charge of the animals in Section 2, and of the creatures she saved. She needed to be responsible; to think before she acted and listen before she spoke. She still had a fierce side, but now she knew there were more important things than herself and how much respect she got.

    How could she have failed that badly? There were so many things she had done wrong in her journey across Cyalia.

    Nothing she could do to change that now. She was trapped, imprisoned in this arena where creatures were forced to kill each other. At least she could change that, even if she couldn¡¯t escape.

    She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, with the moon watching from above.

    Another day, another fight. Kira was chosen once again to battle in the arena, in the blazing sunlight and noisy space.

    When Kira entered, she looked around for her opponent and saw a horse. She¡¯d never fought one before, and her tail twitched nervously at the thought of those sharp hooves slicing her skin.

    ¡°An on the floor here, we have Kira of the foxes, who has fought ten fights,¡± the alligator started, ¡°Tuwile of the Horses, who is on her twenty-first fight, and Liraz of the Bats, who is on his first fight.¡±

    The crowd laughed, and Kira whipped around, trying to see the third contestant. She¡¯d heard of bats, but only on the other continent. Weren¡¯t they supposed to be like fluffy birds?

    Suddenly, movement caught her eye near the ground. She turned her head and thought she saw something small and black fluttering near her. The glimpse of a wing, maybe?

    ¡°Three¡­two¡­one¡­fight!¡± the announcer called gleefully.

    The horse immediately charged at Kira, whinnying angrily.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Kira tried, sidestepping the equestrian¡¯s attempt at a fatal blow with her hooves. ¡°We don¡¯t have to fight.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we do!¡± the mare neighed furiously, stamping her foot on the sand. ¡°You¡¯re ruining everything! We¡¯re all going to die if you continue what you¡¯re doing!¡±

    ¡°No, we¡¯re not!¡± Kira tried to reassure, backing away slowly. ¡°If we keep fighting, we can stop this madness! We can team up against them. Just join us.¡±

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    The mare tossed her head and bellowed, then stampeded towards Kira, baring her large teeth.

    ¡°Hey!¡± a small voice said. A large piece of black fur and leather barreled into the mare¡¯s face, and she skidded to a stop in her tracks, shaking her head to try and get the thing off of her face.

    She succeeded. The creature (bat?) was thrown off into the sky about fifty feet, then started falling, struggling to right itself. Kira rushed after it, opening her wings as much as they could with their bindings to catch the wind and run faster. She couldn¡¯t let it die.

    Come on! Run faster!

    The bat fell to the ground, and Kira leapt and caught it in her paws. It was soft and warm, and its little wings beat against her hold on it helplessly. It made a terrified squeaking noise.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t kill me,¡± the bat said breathlessly. His large, adorable eyes gazed unblinkingly at Kira. In that moment, she felt the urge to smile despite the situation. She wouldn¡¯t let anything happen to this harmless creature.

    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Kira vowed.

    ¡°Stop your cuddling and come over here so I can get rid of you,¡± the mare snarled savagely from across the arena. ¡°The others are scared of you and your magic, but I will show them. I will destroy you, and then they will see how great I am.¡±

    ¡°FIGHT! FIGHT! BOOO!!! NO MORE HUGGING!¡± the crowd roared in agreement.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you,¡± Kira warned. ¡°Step down and I might spare your injuries.¡±

    The mare bolted towards her, head down, intent on the death of her opponent. Kira stood her ground, hugging Liraz to her chest with a fierce expression. His tiny heart beat faster than a fly¡¯s wings.

    Three seconds until the horse collided with Kira¡­two seconds¡­one second¡­.

    A flash of light illuminated the sands, blinding everyone in and out of the arena. The horse was launched across the arena, head over hooves. She landed roughly on her back with a thump and did not get up again.

    Kira sprinted to the horse, fearing the worst.

    Did I kill her?

    I didn¡¯t mean to.

    Is she dead?

    When the fox reached her, however, her chest was still rising and falling, ever so faintly. Kira stepped back to let the guards haul her off back to the cell, refusing ot make the finishing blow.

    The crowd shouted angrily.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Is the horse dead?¡±

    ¡°What about the other prisoner?¡±

    Kira hurriedly tucked Liraz under her wing, where he went with a small squeak of protest. She would apologize later, but for now he needed to stay secret.

    Kira returned to her cell and opened her wing to let Liraz out. He rolled onto the floor, groaning.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Kira asked, concerned. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I didn¡¯t want them to take you away.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m okay!¡± Liraz gurgled, waving one wing at her dismissively. ¡°Only five bones are broken! I¡¯m so lucky!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Kira looked at him to see if he was joking, but it didn¡¯t appear to be so. He was grinning happily with his tiny, pointed teeth, but he seemed unable to get off of the floor. He squirmed around for a moment.

    ¡°Thanks for saving me! I was in a bit of a peach over there! I can¡¯t fly very well, you know. They put holes in my wing flaps! Where are we, by the way? I asked the other creatures here, but none of them responded. It was kind of mean! But you¡¯re not mean. You saved me! Your scar is really wicked looking. I wish I had a scar like that. Where¡¯d you get it? Also, that light thingy you did back there! What was that? Who¡­¡± he rambled on.

    Kira thought hard, trying to ignore the questions for a moment. Maybe she could heal him? She¡¯d never tried to do so, but if her magic was like Deya¡¯s, then there was a possibility she could.

    The fox took a deep breath and flexed her paws open and closed. She¡¯d never tried using her magic manually before. What if it only came when she was feeling strong emotions or something like that?

    ¡°Ooh, what are you doing?¡± Liraz asked, seeing her getting ready.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to heal you,¡± Kira responded, closing her eyes and trying to concentrate.

    ¡°Really?¡± Liraz questioned eagerly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that, you know. I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to do it anyways,¡± Kira said firmly.

    ¡°Okay!¡± Liraz seemed just as eager for healing as he was staying injured. Kira was starting to think that there was a serious issue in this creature¡¯s mind.

    Kira took another deep breath, then searched inside herself, not sure what entirely she was looking for. A vault of warmth in her heart? A spark of light in her center?

    It appeared more complicated than that. Kira felt her consciousness drift, as if she was going to sleep¡ªbut she felt wide awake.

    A bright white light in her mind¡¯s vision was approaching her conscious self. It got closer and closer until it overtook her, bathing everything in a pearly rainbow-white glow.

    Memories flashed past her. Kira and Ava, playing in the field, laughing together as if they wouldn¡¯t be permanently separated in the future. Kira¡¯s mother, telling her how proud she was to have such a perfect daughter. Kira making friends with her siblings¡¯ companions. Kira getting ready to be chosen for a companion.

    What do my memories have to do with finding my magic? Kira thought.

    The images continued, despite Kira¡¯s question. More recent ones¡ªDeya performing her light magic, Deya singing, Kira and Rogue joking together. Then there was the memory when Kira and Deya first met. Kira watched Deya¡¯s tears fall on her like a third person. She saw her own transformation, and suddenly she understood how to use her magic. It was part of her; it always had been. All Deya¡¯s tears had done was bring out the best inside of her, though it seemed unreal.

    Kira opened her eyes and held one paw over Liraz. It glowed white, with lights and colors flitting and circling around it. Then it entered Liraz. Immediately, the holes in his wings healed. His fur ruffled, and his expression turned dreamy. He stood up straight, using his wing-arms to walk over towards her.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, smiling. ¡°I think I needed that after all maybe.¡±

    Kira laughed, then used her paw to ruffle the fur on his head affectionately.

    ¡°Kira?¡± Rogue¡¯s voice reached her uncertainly from the next cell over. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Who is that?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡± Kira¡¯s ears twitched. ¡°I have a tiny bit of explaining to do..."

 Chapter 27: The Maze of Madness

    She walked down the endless halls, smelling the scent of old books and wooden shelves, wading in her misery.

    When will he return? she thought anxiously. He hadn¡¯t been back in a long time, though admittedly his absence was a blessing.

    Maybe he forgot. Had everyone forgotten about her by now? Was her existence even acknowledged beyond her own headspace?

    The thoughts were the same as yesterday, or every day before this one. She needed to find that window. That would pull her out of insanity, if only for a moment. But where was it?

    There were no familiar places. The shelves constantly shifted around, and so did the books. Part of her still wondered how that happened; still wondered if there were others besides her who were lost here. But she knew there wasn¡¯t. There never had been. It was all in her head.

    She turned another corner and saw the mirror. Her own face, looking back at her with that forever lonely glance, full of melancholy and hopelessness. The black marks down her cheeks that looked like tear streaks added to the sense of sadness, as well as marking her as one of those who could never return home.

    She reached up a paw and traced the black mark on that cheek, watching her reflection do the same. I¡¯m special, she thought with emptiness.

    You will never make it out. The voice that haunted her day after day was back, ready for another session of torture. She gripped her head as if to tear out the unwelcome presence, but like usual, it did nothing.

    You¡¯re all alone. So helpless. The classic giggle that came afterwards sent a shiver down her spine. Whatever was talking to her was clearly mad beyond recognition.

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    Do you even exist anymore?

    She paused.

    If no one knew she was alive, was she? If no one believed in her, could she truly do anything? Was she merely a ghost by now, cursed to haunt these long passages until she disappeared? How could she know whether or not it was true?

    If I¡¯m not alive, how can I feel pain? she asked. No matter how hard she tried not to speak to the voice, she always ended up communicating some way or another. Knowing there was something beyond this never ending library was a relief, even if that something constantly tormented her.

    What if pain is the only thing that was ever real?

    No. I remember happiness. I remember laughter and jokes and flowers and outdoors.

    It was all just a dream. A figment of your imagination. All in your head.

    In my head. She gripped the sides of her head tighter. Leave me alone! Get out of my mind!

    The voice giggled again. The mirror went in and out of focus. Her heart began to pound faster and faster, and the edges of her vision faded into blackness.

    Not again, she thought, bringing her thoughts back on track. I won¡¯t lose my mind. I refuse.

    She looked back at the mirror again and gasped. There, in the reflection, was a window¡ªright behind her. She whipped around and gave a cry of joy at the sight of sunlight.

    She rushed to the window and put a paw on the glass. There was a tree out there! A tree!

    They really do exist, she thought. It wasn¡¯t a dream. Take that, mystery voice!

    You still can¡¯t escape, the voice bit back. How does it feel that you can see freedom so close and yet will never be there?

    Her sorrows poured back onto her at those words. The voice was right. She would never smell the trees and grass again, or feel the sunlight on her back. But she knew it existed, and there was still hope. It was something, and something was better than nothing.

    I might not make it out of here, she thought. But at least I won¡¯t go insane.

 Chapter 28: Spy

    Over the next few days, Liraz proved to be a very chaotic addition to the prisoners. He was rather clumsy, tended to not notice when he got injured, and said very odd things that made everyone stare at him constantly.

    For instance, the other day he asked a lizard if he tripped over his tail all the time or if he¡¯d ever caught his tail on the way to strangling himself.

    ¡°I mean, if I had a tail, I would probably strangle myself accidentally,¡± he chirped, oblivious to the weird look the lizard was giving him. ¡°I think of killing myself a lot, and I¡¯d be afraid that my tail would put those thoughts into action. You mean your tail doesn¡¯t do that?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡± The lizard edged away from the overexcited bat slowly.

    The guards didn¡¯t seem to notice Liraz at all¡ªthey probably assumed that he was just another prisoner. He¡¯d moved into Rogue¡¯s cell, and he and the leopard got along quite well. They both loved joking around and making fun of the announcer, though Liraz¡¯s quips were much darker than Rogue¡¯s.

    ¡°I bet he¡¯s never washed his teeth in his whole life,¡± Rogue snorted. It was true¡ªthe golden flash of fangs greeted Kira every time he spoke, even from through her window.

    ¡°I bet his voice killed his wife and children from hearing loss,¡± Liraz said, laughing maniacally.

    Kira was busy drawing on the dirt in her cell, trying to find out ways they could escape. They knew where the exits were, and that they were guarded. They just didn¡¯t know when the guards¡¯ shifts were, or what distraction to use.

    We need more information, Kira thought, frustrated.

    Then, as she listened to the hyper conversation between Rogue and Liraz, it clicked. We need someone on the inside.

    Someone they have no record of.

    Someone that can fit through cracks easily and fly unnoticed.

    Someone like¡­Liraz.

    Her head snapped up. That¡¯s it!

    Liraz could blend into the dark. He was small, and nimble, so he could fit through small spaces stealthily. The guards wouldn¡¯t notice if he was gone. It was perfect.

    At the next mess, Kira told her plan to Laila, Rogue, and Maximon. Liraz sat with them, unaware of their conversation. He was too busy chowing down on a peach.

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    ¡°That¡¯s perfect,¡± Maximon hissed. ¡°We¡¯d just need to, ah, make sure he stays hidden.¡±

    Laila rolled her eyes. ¡°We¡¯re going to risk our entire chance of escaping and our lives with a bat? Ugh. Count me out.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad,¡± Kira promised. ¡°All he has to do is learn when the guards¡¯ shifts switch, nothing else. It shouldn¡¯t be that hard for him.¡±

    Liraz finished his fruit and looked up at them with a very peachy grin. ¡°What are we talking about? Can I join in?¡±

    Laila made a noise of disgust. ¡°You have fruit all over your face.¡±

    Liraz licked his mouth with his long pink tongue.

    Laila glared at him. Her talons were curled dangerously under the table.

    ¡°Alright, stop it,¡± Kira said. ¡°Look, Liraz, we need your help with something.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Liraz¡¯s face lit up. ¡°I can help! I¡¯ll do anything!¡±

    ¡°Listen carefully, okay?¡± Kira told him. ¡°And keep your voice down. We need to keep this a secret.¡±

    Liraz nodded and looked around at the guards, then back at Kira. ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡± he whispered.

    ¡°We need you to spy on the guards,¡± Kira said. ¡°Find out when their shifts start and end, and come and tell us. But you can¡¯t be spotted.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best,¡± Liraz said. ¡°But I don¡¯t know if I can stay inconspicuous for that long. I¡¯m rather clumsy, in case you haven¡¯t seen.¡±

    Kira smiled encouragingly. ¡°You¡¯ll do fine. I believe in you. You can blend in the dark, and you¡¯re smaller than the rest of us. You can cling to the ceiling, for Dragon¡¯s sake! You have supersonic hearing. As long as you stay out of sight, you¡¯ll be the ultimate spy.¡±

    Liraz seemed to ponder that for a moment. ¡°When you put it like that, I think I might be able.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± Rogue said cheerfully.

    Laila raised an eyebrow. ¡°We¡¯ll see. I have my doubts.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s simple. With his help, we¡¯ll be out of here in no time,¡± Kira said, eyes sparkling.

    <hr>

    The next day, Liraz went on his first spy mission. He was small enough to fit between the prison bars, and once he was out, he was practically invisible in the dim torchlight.

    Kira had given him instructions earlier. ¡°Go to this door,¡± she had said, pointing out the first exit drawn out in the dirt. ¡°Hang around there until you find out when the shifts end. If you need a break, come back. Don¡¯t starve or exhaust yourself.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t fail!¡± Liraz promised, saluting with his wing. He flew off into the darkness, alternating between flapping and gliding.

    ¡°Oh, I hope he does well,¡± Kira worried, clutching her tail with her paws.

    <hr>

    The bat came back at around sunset, buzzing with energy.

    ¡°Come here.¡± Kira reached through the bars and grabbed the edge of his wing, pulling him through. ¡°What did you find?¡±

    ¡°Their shifts end every five hours,¡± Liraz said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t there to see the second shift, but I heard them talking about it. One of them said ¡®I¡¯m going to have to stand here for another five hours¡¯ to another one.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s awesome!¡± Kira cried. She ran to the window. ¡°Rogue, are you hearing this?¡±

    ¡°Indeed I am,¡± the leopard answered. ¡°I¡¯ll mark it down on my wall. Great job, Liraz!¡±

    The bat looked very tired. ¡°I think I¡¯ll just sleep for the next twelve hours,¡± he panted. Then he flapped to the ceiling and wrapped his wings around himself.

 Chapter 29: Tigers Remorse

    For three days, the spying continued without Liraz getting caught. He kept trying to get beyond the gate, but every time he tried, they almost saw him.

    ¡°Stop worrying,¡± Kira told him as he came back from one of his missions in a hyperventilating mess. ¡°You¡¯ll figure it out eventually. We¡¯re not judging you.¡±

    ¡°But what if I can¡¯t figure it out and then we¡¯re stuck here forever and it¡¯s all my fault?¡± Liraz panicked.

    ¡°You will,¡± Kira insisted. ¡°Stop doubting yourself. No good ever comes out of that for anybody.¡±

    Liraz made a whimpering sound and gripped his head with his wings. ¡°I can do this. I can do this. We will figure this out. I can do this.¡±

    ¡°There you go!¡± Kira cheered, smiling encouragingly.

    Liraz took a deep breath, then flapped through the bars once again with a more determined tilt to his wings.

    Kira looked after him, making sure he didn¡¯t crash into any walls.

    ¡°Quite the little guy you got there,¡± commented a hoarse voice.

    Kira turned sharply and saw Anala laying on the ground in her cell, staring at the fox with melancholy in her eyes.

    ¡°Anala?¡± she said, tilting her head.

    The tigress inclined her head. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve managed to survive through these moon cycles, despite the odds.¡± She raised her left paw, which was a mauled mess of burn scars.

    Kira winced guiltily at the damage she had done. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Anala shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m tougher now. It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡±

    Kira smiled sadly and touched the side of her face. ¡°That was me with my eye scar.¡±

    Anala chuckled. ¡°Yeah, I saw that. You look more grown up with it. Less like a punk softie of a kit, more leader-like.¡±

    Kira laughed, and the tension broke between them. ¡°¡®Punk softie of a kit¡¯? Is that really what you thought?¡± She paused and made a face. ¡°I kind of was though, wasn¡¯t I?¡±

    Anala grinned, flashing her long feline incisors. ¡°You were. Though to be fair, I was a bit stubborn and prideful as well. You made me see that. And I¡¯ve seen how much you¡¯ve changed, and what you¡¯re organizing.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re coming too,¡± Kira said. ¡°We¡¯re not leaving anyone behind.¡±

    Anala tilted her head as if in doubt. ¡°It will take quite a bit of work. You¡¯ll need to take out all of the guards, and unlock every gate, as well as getting past the arena without being drugged or shot by the wall guards.¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    ¡°We¡¯re working on it,¡± Kira responded quietly. ¡°We located every exit and are currently figuring out how to get past the guards by use of a spy. We¡¯ll be out in no time!¡±

    Anala looked wistfully at Kira¡¯s window. ¡°It would be nice to get out of here¡­but I guess we¡¯ll see.¡±

    <hr>

    Kira was out of ideas. It had been one day since Liraz had given her the news that he couldn¡¯t get past the guards, but she didn¡¯t know how to help him from inside her cell. She was getting desperate.

    At mess, she sat there with her paws on the side of her head, just trying to think. Her friends were silent as well, and they all knew that the others were trying to come up with a plan.

    Then, their savior arrived.

    Anala slid onto the bench with her usual deer leg and leaned into their circle. Rogue looked wary, Maximon looked curious, and Laila acted as usual¡ªlike she didn¡¯t care. Liraz didn¡¯t say anything, as he was too busy staring off into the distance.

    ¡°I can see that you guys are stuck,¡± Anala declared in a whisper. ¡°I might be able to help you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, really?¡± Rogue asked suspiciously. ¡°What makes you suddenly want to help us?¡±

    Anala looked down at her burned paw. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for everything I did to everyone here. I was dumb and proud, and too stupid to care about others.¡±

    Rogue¡¯s eyebrows disappeared above his eyes. ¡°You¡ªyou are?¡±

    Anala nodded, smiling. ¡°I¡¯m ready to fix what I caused. Helping these prisoners get their freedom will certainly do that.¡±

    Kira straightened from her slouched posed and looked at the tigress. She then made a decision. ¡°Anala, you can lead the prisoners out when it is time to go.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Rogue whispered apprehensively. ¡°Kira, I understand forgiving this tigress, but putting her in charge of the escape¡ª¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Kira folded her wings tightly against herself. ¡°But I know it¡¯s the right decision. I trust Anala to take her role seriously. After all, she knows the prisoners here much better than the rest of us.¡±

    They all knew it was true, and there were no more arguments.

    ¡°So what was your idea, Anala?¡± Kira questioned, getting the conversation back on track. They had limited time in each mess, and while Kira could talk to Anala in the cellblock, it was better for everyone to hear.

    ¡°You need a much smaller version of your escape plan,¡± Anala said, still speaking in a hushed whisper. ¡°Liraz will still be the one sneaking in, but we need something¡ªor someone¡ªelse to distract the guards so he can get through.¡±

    ¡°Sounds solid,¡± Laila intoned, finally looking Anala, ¡°but what do we use?¡±

    ¡°Something severe and yet small enough that only the guards on the first entrance go to investigate,¡± Maximon speculated, looking thoughtful. ¡°Like a small explosion, or a prison fight.¡±

    ¡°I vote prison fight,¡± Anala said. ¡°I can start one of those easy enough.¡±

    ¡°You sure?¡± Kira asked hesitantly. ¡°I mean, with your burn and all¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± the tigress said confidently. ¡°I told you: I¡¯ve survived much worse.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s what you think is best,¡± Kira relented.

    ¡°Liraz, did you get all of that?¡± Rogue asked, nudging the bat and making him jump.

    ¡°I think so,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll have to fly really fast and pick the lock. How do I get back?¡±

    ¡°Try to find a place where you can get out and in,¡± Maximon suggested. ¡°That way we don¡¯t have to make a distraction every time we want to go through the gates.¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡± Liraz¡¯s brow furrowed.

    ¡°Dig a hole,¡± Rogue offered. ¡°It might take a while, but it will be worth it.¡±

    ¡°I think I can do that,¡± Liraz said doubtfully, staring at his back feet. ¡°Maybe.¡±

    ¡°You will,¡± Maximon hissed with confidence. ¡°Liraz, the only one here doubting you is yourself.¡±

    Everyone enthusiastically agreed with him.

    Liraz smiled. ¡°Thanks, guys.¡±

    The guards slammed their weapons down on the ground, and everyone began filing back to their cells. Kira smiled confidently, knowing that they were one step closer to escape.

 Chapter 30: Breakthrough and Broadcast

    Anala was right: she was an expert at starting fights.

    Not three hours after they had made their plans, Anala turned to the prisoner in her neighboring cell and sneered.

    ¡°Are you really so bad at fighting that you got three scratches on your back, of all places?¡± she taunted. ¡°Almost like you can¡¯t keep your guard up at all. You¡¯re so weak.¡±

    Now, normally, the prisoners of Section 2 wouldn¡¯t rise to the insults. But this particular prisoner¡ªa large, muscly lizard¡ªhad an abnormally large ego and was very proud of his fighting skills.

    ¡°Weak?¡± he snarled, gripping the bars and baring his teeth at Anala, who grinned back toothily.

    ¡°Yep,¡± Anala said gleefully. ¡°Weaker than a puddle. I could beat you to a pulp even with my wounded paw. You¡¯d cry for mama at the first swipe.¡±

    The lizard roared. ¡°How dare you!¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± guards were coming along the corridor, but the lizard kept arguing.

    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough!¡± he shouted. ¡°You¡¯re annoying! You all are! I hate you!¡±

    The other prisoners began protesting, Rogue and Maximon adding to the mix.

    ¡°We¡¯re not annoying!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re overreacting!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re annoying!¡±

    Soon everyone was yelling at each other. More guards began coming to try and resettle the situation. In the confusion, Kira spotted Liraz slipping past the soldiers and flapping frantically down the hallway.

    Twenty minutes later, everyone was settled. Kira could hear Anala making a whispered apology to the lizard, and he seemed utterly surprised to hear what was coming out of her mouth

    ¡°Since when have you changed your ways?¡± he asked incredulously, but his eyes flickered to Kira as if he already knew the answer.

    Anala only winked mysteriously.

    <hr>

    Liraz didn¡¯t return that night. Nor did he return the next day. It wasn¡¯t until sunset that he came flying back into Kira¡¯s cell.

    ¡°I found a way out,¡± he whispered squeakily. ¡°I did it, I did it!¡±

    ¡°Awesome!¡± Kira whispered back, smiling. ¡°Tell me everything.¡±

    ¡°The distraction worked,¡± Liraz started. ¡°I got past the door. It was really hard to pick the lock, but I managed to make it look like it was still locked when I got through. Maximon was right. There were a bunch of doors that led to these rooms with beds and stuff on them¡ªthe guard¡¯s homes, I think he said? Anyways, I reached the second layer and immediately got to tunneling. But then I found something that will change everything.¡± He took a deep breath, and Kira leaned in close to listen. ¡°There are tunnels below the arena. They go everywhere, to each section, and past every layer. They don¡¯t go outside, however,¡± he added sadly. ¡°I explored all of them. But it¡¯s a start.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°After that revelation, I examined the exit to outside. The doors are huge, and really really thick. They¡¯re made of some sort of metal that¡¯s practically impenetrable. But I discovered something else: There are vents to the outside, hidden behind these metal panels in the walls. I dug around one, so that really big animals could fit through, then put the vent back in place. We should be all set, whenever you¡¯re ready.¡±

    Kira hugged the bat. ¡°Thank you, Liraz. You¡¯ve been a really big help to us. I don¡¯t know what we would¡¯ve done without you.¡±

    Liraz smiled humbly, exposing his tiny, adorable fangs. ¡°Thank you!¡±

    Kira smiled back. After seven months of fighting and worrying, they could finally get out of here.

    <hr>

    When Rogue heard the news, he could barely contain his excitement. But soon his excited energy disappeared when he asked, ¡°Now how do we tell everybody else?¡±

    Kira had no idea.

    ¡°The best plan would be to move out all at once,¡± she speculated. ¡°That way we can take all the guards by surprise. The problem is, there¡¯s no way we can get word throughout the whole arena without the guards noticing.¡±

    ¡°We need to ask Maximon,¡± Rogue said.

    Kira sighed. She was tired of waiting to get out of here. Her languished thoughts turned to Deya, and guilt crashed over her. Who knew what the Dragon was going through as of right now?

    But she also knew that Maximon would have the best idea of what to do. And Laila and Anala deserved to know as well.

    So they waited, and when Mess came, Kira could barely keep her mouth shut about the escape. She buzzed with energy, and even forgot to take a chicken leg as she bolted to their table and sat down, her tail wagging eagerly. Liraz looked just as excited.

    ¡°Whoa, Kira,¡± Rogue teased. ¡°If your tail wags any faster, it¡¯ll carry you out of the arena!¡±

    Kira blushed. ¡°Sorry! I really want to tell them!¡±

    ¡°Tell us what?¡± Maximon asked, sliding next to her. Laila and Anala were behind him.

    ¡°We found a way to escape,¡± Kira whispered.

    Maximon¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Tell me.¡±

    Kira told him what Liraz had found, with Liraz filling in what she had forgotten.

    ¡°But we can¡¯t find a way to tell everyone,¡± Kira finished with a touch of dismay.

    Maximon thought for a long moment. His odd, deep blue eyes flickered in the torchlight, combining with his green scales and making them look teal.

    Finally, he straightened, and his eyes flashed. ¡°We can use Liraz. He can fly throughout the entire arena and tell everyone of our plan, and to keep it secret. Then we strike at night.¡±

    ¡°Liraz, are you up for that?¡± Kira asked.

    Liraz nodded. ¡°I can fly through the windows all around. Nobody will see me.¡±

    ¡°Just hurry,¡± Kira said.

    <hr>

    Kira sat in her cell, worrying her claws and picking at the bindings on her wings. Eventually, they would be removed, but Kira didn¡¯t know how, and she didn¡¯t want to waste more time trying to find a way to get them off.

    What if someone spread the secret before Liraz could get it throughout the entire prison? What if something went wrong? What if they all died, and it was Kira¡¯s fault?

    ¡°Stop worrying,¡± Anala said, as if she could read Kira¡¯s thoughts. ¡°That little bat has ore spirit than any other creature I¡¯ve ever seen. Except maybe you, of course.¡±

    Kira tried for a smile, but she knew it probably looked fake. ¡°I know. It¡¯s just¡­everything comes down to this. Everything. What if I fail?¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t,¡± Anala promised. ¡°You¡¯ve done a lot of planning for this. I assure you, if anyone can do this, it¡¯s you.¡±

    Kira tried to believe it, but her mind was still flashing through all the horrible things that could happen.

    ¡°Hey, if it helps, imagine the look on the announcer¡¯s face when we escape,¡± Rogue pointed out from behind the wall.

    It did help. Kira pictured the smirking crocodile realizing that his arena was collapsing from right beneath him, and her spirits rose.

    By the time Liraz returned, Kira was smiling pleasantly. He plopped on her shoulder and hugged her neck with his wings, wheezing.

    ¡°You¡¯d think¡­I¡¯d be used¡­to being out of breath¡­by now,¡± he panted. Kira let him catch his breath.

    ¡°I told everyone,¡± he said after a little while, wiggling to perch more securely on her back. ¡°And I also told them not to discuss it at all with one another.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Kira approved. ¡°Tomorrow, we go through that hole you found, and then we use the tunnels to break everyone else out. Then we revolt and destroy this place to smithereens.¡±

 Chapter 31: Escape

    It was time.

    At last.

    Kira woke up without the sun, tense, heart pumping rapidly. She bolted upright onto her feet and clung to the bars, looking down the hallway left and right. Her tail flicked.

    ¡°Anala?¡± she whispered.

    The tigress was up as well. ¡°Hush. I¡¯m waiting for the guards to pass by so I can steal the keys.¡±

    Kira nodded and sat back down, gazing out of the window. The sky was gradually turning from purple to blue with hints of gold. The arena stands were filling with spectators, who were oblivious to what was about to happen. There was a stillness in the air, as if all the other prisoners were already awake and ready.

    The clank, clank of a guard coming down the hallway made Kira hold her breath. Would Anala manage to get the keys? What if the bits of metal weren¡¯t even on the side facing the tigress?

    But they were, and the guard was a relatively small weasel.

    ¡°Guard!¡± Anala wailed, thrashing around in her cell. ¡°Guard, my paw!¡±

    The guard glanced over at her cell and approached the bars, looking skeptical. ¡°What is it, tiger?¡± he asked gruffly.

    ¡°MY ARRRMM!¡± Anala howled.

    The guard edged closer, trying to get a better look, and Anala immediately slammed his head against the bars with a thud. He slumped to the ground, unconscious, and Anala snatched the keys from the belt around his midriff. She reached through the bars and inserted the key in the lock, clicking it quietly and silently opening her cell door.

    Theoretically, they could free all the prisoners this way, but there were too many sections for them to be able to do it properly. Plus, they would have to battle all the guards, and they wouldn¡¯t have the element of surprise anymore.

    Anala then walked over to Kira¡¯s cell on silent padded feet. She looked left and right, checking for guards, but there appeared to be none.

    Once Kira was free, they unlocked Rogue¡¯s cage and tiptoed down the hallway. The other prisoners watched them with wide eyes, and Kira gave each of them reassuring glances.

    We¡¯ll come back for you.

    They found Maximon¡¯s cell, and soon all of them were facing the wooden SECTION 3 door. Kira remembered facing this door so long ago, when she had first come to the arena. How much had changed since then?

    Her paw went to the side of her face, where her scar slashed across her eye. She was battle worn. Some wounds would stay visible forever, and some never had been seeable. But one thing was for sure: she would leave this place changed.

    Kira eased the door open, putting weight on it so that the hinges didn¡¯t creak. Two unsuspecting guards stood with their backs to them, oblivious of the five creatures escaping behind them. Kira and Anala walked up right behind them, then covered their mouths in a rush and had Maximon bash them with his tail until they were sleeping soundly, little trickles of blood running down their heads.

    ¡°Um, question,¡± Rogue whispered as they stepped into the hallway cautiously. ¡°Why aren¡¯t we killing them?¡±

    Kira looked at him, shocked. ¡°Why would we?¡±

    ¡°They kept us in here,¡± Rogue argued quietly. ¡°They followed orders blindly, never caring about us or how that would affect us. They watched countless creatures die with no guilt.¡±

    Kira shook her head. ¡°That doesn¡¯t give us the right to kill them off. The entire reason we¡¯re escaping is so that no more creatures have to die. What if these guards were taken just like us, only they got more luxuries? What if, behind the scenes, they were treated even worse than us? We can¡¯t risk their lives on doubts. So, for now, they stay unconscious.¡±

    Rogue didn¡¯t look happy, but he stopped arguing.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the door, Liraz?¡± Anala asked as they walked past more watchful prisoners.

    ¡°Conveniently, it¡¯s right beyond Section 5,¡± Liraz chirped, hovering over them all. ¡°So we can grab Laila and go. But we¡¯ll have to be quick¡ªthe fights are almost starting.¡±

    Kira and her friends picked up the pace, knowing that one more fight would be two or three more creatures to rescue. They did the same at the Section 4 door as they had to the last one, taking the guards out without a sound.

    At last, they reached the door to Section 5.

    ¡°This will be a little more work,¡± Liraz whispered, ¡°as there are two guards at each door. We¡¯ll have to take these ones out, then attack the other ones face-to-face quickly. By that time, the guards at the outer door will be alerted, so we¡¯ll have to take them out as well and then crawl into the tunnel entrance, which is right in front of the door.¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Kira said. ¡°Here¡¯s the plan. First, we take out the guards behind this door. Then, Maximon and Laila, you guys take out the creatures down the hall, since you¡¯re the fastest. Anala and I will go for the guards at the door to the second layer.¡±

    Everyone nodded, and then Kira opened the door. Rogue and Anala wrestled them to the ground and knocked them out, which turned out to be more of a struggle than they originally thought¡ªthe guards were very burly. But they had the element of surprise, and more fighting experience, so the hostile creatures were soon overpowered.

    ¡°Go, go, go!¡± Kira hissed. Maximon and Laila shot down the corridor, and Anala and Kira tackled the guards at the door to the second layer, a raccoon and a porcupine.

    Kira ducked under the racoon¡¯s swipes and lunged for his chest, pushing off the wall for leverage. She knocked him over and then slammed her back leg on his temple, smashing it into the floor.

    A twinge of guilt momentarily shot through Kira¡¯s veins. It looked like the raccoon might not survive. But sacrifices had to be made. Anala¡¯s opponent look in the same state, and Kira found herself hoping that they would live, despite the fact that they had just been trying to block her from escaping.

    ¡°The entrance is right there.¡± Liraz landed on the ground and pointed his wing to a metal circle in the floor.

    Anala and Rogue dug their claws into the sides of the opening and hefted, slowly lifting up the heavy door and setting it on the side with a few grunts. What they uncovered was a dark hole, with no sign of a bottom. Kira could hear the drip drip drip of water somewhere inside.

    Kira shared a glance with her comrades. ¡°Ready to escape?¡± she asked.

    Rogue looked down at the hole, an unreadable expression on his face. ¡°I¡¯ve got to admit, I never thought I would get out of this place.¡±

    ¡°Me neither,¡± Anala admitted.

    Laila snorted. ¡°Now isn¡¯t the time for big sappy speeches, slowpokes!¡± She jumped into the hole gracefully, despite her wings being strapped to her body.

    Maximon followed, letting his scaly coils drop into the depths below. Anala pounced after him, and Rogue followed. Liraz fluttered down.

    Kira wasted one last look behind her, at all the grumpy, vengeful prisoners gazing at her. But there was something new in their expressions¡­grudging respect, maybe?

    ¡°We¡¯ll be back for all of you,¡± Kira promised.

    And then she leapt into the hole.

    She expected a long drop, but it wasn¡¯t that far. Her front paws touched the ground after about two seconds, touching some sort of slimy substance. Kira did not want to know what it was.

    The tunnel was pitch black, but Kira saw the faint outline of walls surrounding them. Every sound broadcasted throughout the entire area, from Liraz¡¯s squeaky breathing to Kira¡¯s padded footsteps. Kira gazed above her, at the hole in the ceiling, and found that the dim torchlight blinded her even after just a few seconds in the darkness.

    ¡°Where to now, Liraz?¡± Kira asked, and her voice echoed back to her loud and clear. However, as soon as she spoke, light sparked along her fur, letting her see the tunnel with more clarity.

    ¡°How did you do that?¡± Liraz asked.

    Kira looked down and realized that she was glowing. Small tendrils of light magic snaked their way along her forepaws and around her body.

    ¡°No time to figure out,¡± Kira said. ¡°We need to hurry. Lead the way, Liraz.¡±

    Liraz obeyed, flying ahead of them and pointing out various branches along the corridor.

    ¡°That one goes straight to the arena grounds,¡± he commentated. ¡°I bet that¡¯s where they take the dead bodies when the fights are finished. And that one leads to the guard barracks, where they hang out during break, I guess. I almost got caught when I went down that way! And that one goes to all the Sections that have doors, and circles around the entire arena. And here we are!¡±

    He stopped them in front of a dead end, but he pointed upwards, and Kira realized that there was another metal circle above them. This one had little claw marks around it, as if Liraz had struggled a lot to get it in and out of position.

    ¡°How are we going to get up there?¡± Laila asked skeptically.

    ¡°We climb the walls,¡± Kira said. ¡°They¡¯re pretty narrow, which means we should be able to brace ourselves against them and climb upwards.¡±

    To demonstrate, Kira jumped up as far as she could go, then stretched her legs out forwards and backwards against the wall. Then she slowly ¡°walked¡± up, inch by inch, until her back was to the cap in the ceiling. She then used her weight to lift the metal plate on her back and move it until she was able to crawl out, panting, onto the surface floor.

    As her friends started making their own way up, Kira scanned their surroundings. This area was bare metal and stone, making her feel very exposed. They were standing in an ¡°entrance hall¡±, she could call it, only the ceiling was rather low. In front of her was a large door, and her stomach jolted when she realized that freedom was right beyond it.

    Behind her was the hall, which branched left and right after about fifteen feet. Kira could hear the noise of guards hustling and bustling around on their normal duties, not knowing what was about to happen. She hoped that none of them walked their way and saw her escaping, or their plan would be ruined.

    After a few minutes, everyone was standing next to her, looking just as nervous as she was.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the vent, Liraz?¡± Kira asked.

    Liraz pointed to the wall right above the floor, where a panel of metal with holes in it was placed. It was quite big, big enough for even a horse to fit through. Extra space had been carved around it, making it so that even bigger animals could fit through.

    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± Kira said, smiling. ¡°This will work.¡±

    The journey back was easier, since they weren¡¯t met with any apprehension from the guards. Anala opened each of the prisoner¡¯s cells, and they all seemed overwhelmed with joy. Kira found herself grinning with them as each creature stretched their legs and gaped when Kira showed them to the vent, which they had pried open.

    Finally, all the creatures¡ªhundreds of them¡ªwere out of their prisons and standing at the wall of the arena. Some of them had tears of happiness running down their cheeks. They all thanked Kira and her friends, even those from Section 5.

    After a few minutes, Kira turned around and faced the arena wall.

    ¡°We¡¯ve escaped,¡± she announced to everyone, standing on a rock to get their attention. ¡°But this monstrosity still stands. I won¡¯t blame you if you want to go right now, and find your families or whoever else you were taken from.¡± Her eyes glinted. ¡°But who wants to topple this place to the ground?¡±

 Chapter 32: Rebellion

    No one left the area.

    Kira¡¯s heart swelled when she realized that not one creature in the crowd had gone into the forest around them. They all looked at her with raised chins and defiant eyes, and she knew they were ready.

    ¡°We need to make a base of operations,¡± Kira mused, thinking out loud.

    Everyone immediately set to work, gathering stones and wood and building a wall in record time. Lions placed stones in the paws of mice, and wolves dragged sticks to where lions and cats were stacking them. Each creature coexisted perfectly, and it made Kira sad and angry that they had been forced to go at each other¡¯s throats. She glared at the structure towering over them all imposingly, determined to tear it down.

    Kira cleared out a large patch of dirt and began discussing plans with Maximon and a few other creatures.

    Suddenly, Laila approached, along with what looked like all the birds who had bene held prisoner.

    ¡°We need our wings freed,¡± the hawk said. ¡°We don¡¯t know how to get them off. You need to free yours, too.¡± She nodded to Kira¡¯s vibrant, caged wings.

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Kira realized. ¡°You haven¡¯t been able to pick the lock on them?¡±

    An eagle shook his head sadly. ¡°We all tried, but even my hook claws can¡¯t get through.¡±

    Kira thought for a moment, then walked into the forest and returned with a stick. The birds all looked at her, confused.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to set fire to the stick and see if the bonds can melt off,¡± she explained. When half of the birds took a fearful step back, she reassured them, ¡°I¡¯m going to try it on myself, first.¡±

    She gathered her light magic into a ball. Using her magic felt awkward and weird, but Kira was sure she could do something as simple as start a fire. All she would need is light and some heat¡­

    With a bunch of concentration, a tiny flame appeared on the edge of the stick, soon turning into a burning blaze. Kira held it up to her metal straps, wincing a bit at the heat.

    The metal bubbled, then turned red hot and moldable. Kira lifted the torch away and struck it with her back paw, and it broke.

    One down, three more to go, Kira thought, glancing at the other wires on her wings. She determinedly held the torch up to the next wire, feeling her heart lift as it broke just as easily.

    Her wing stretched out at last, after six months of confinement. Kira grinned and whooped, and the birds glanced at each other excitedly. Kira finished off the other wires on the next wing, and the avians made a line for her to get their wings freed.

    After about ten or so minutes, every bird was chirping and flying around above their heads, singing of their newfound freedom to the world. Laila watched them from the ground, a tiny smile on her face.

    ¡°Thank you, Kira,¡± she said.

    ¡°Anytime,¡± Kira responded, flexing her own wings open and closed. She longed to be up there with the birds, but she knew that she had plans to make. She turned back to Maximon and the other creatures.

    ¡°Now we have air support,¡± Maximon hissed. ¡°This should give us more chance of success.¡±

    Kira gazed at the map of the arena, showing the above view and from the side.

    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t storm through the vent, since that would be too crowded, and it would be hard to fight in the tight hallways,¡± she said.

    Maximon and the others nodded.

    A raven that reminded Kira of Gael tapped one talon on the middle of the arena. ¡°Why don¡¯t we start in the middle and go outwards? That way, we catch them by surprise, humiliate the Announcer and all the guards in front of everyone, and then topple the walls from the inside?¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a plan.¡± Maximon nodded appreciatively. ¡°We could have the birds drop smaller animals onto the audience, and then have the moles tunnel in from the sands. Then the rest of us flood through the tunnels and pounce while everyone is distracted from the air assault.¡±

    ¡°We could have the moles start tunneling now,¡± a deer suggested. ¡°Then we¡¯re ready to strike whenever we want to.¡±

    Kira nodded, flicking her tail thoughtfully. ¡°I¡¯ll tell them right now.¡±

    She found all the moles digging ditches in the shade around their base, in case of flooding.

    ¡°Excuse me,¡± she said.

    They all turned and looked at her attentively.

    ¡°We have a plan to get in,¡± Kira began. ¡°We need you guys to tunnel under the arena walls and into the sands, so that we can attack from the middle and go outwards.¡±

    ¡°We can definitely do that!¡± one mole said in a gravely yet high-pitched voice.

    ¡°We¡¯ll get to work right away,¡± another one added.

    Immediately, they all began digging rapidly into the ground, soon disappearing into the dirt.

    Kira gazed up at the feathered figures in the sky, then spread her wings and soared into the wind. She would tell the avians, and then the rest of the creatures, and the plan would be all set.

    Her stomach was left behind where she¡¯d been standing, and she couldn¡¯t help but let out a cry of joy as her wings carried her through the clouds. It had been so long since she¡¯d flown, she¡¯d almost forgot what it felt like. Once again, she found herself wondering how she had survived without wings for most of her life.

    The teasing wind was back, ruffling her fur and throwing her around like an old friend she hadn¡¯t seen in years. It whistled in her ears, playing a song of joy and wonder. The damp clouds embraced her as she flew into them, flapping to go higher and reach the birds.

    They were making corkscrews and loopty-loops as if it was the most natural thing in the world, spreading and folding their wings with liquid grace. Kira felt like a fish on land compared to them, with her wobbly wingbeats and off-balance turns.

    ¡°Hey everyone!¡± she called, hovering in place in the middle of them all.

    It took a few minutes, but finally she held every bird¡¯s attention.

    ¡°We need you guys to be our air support in the plan to attack the arena,¡± Kira explained. ¡°You¡¯ll have to carry a bunch of smaller animals into battle and drop them in the arena sands.¡±

    The birds all looked at each other, then back at Kira, nodding and screeching in agreement of the plan. Then they returned to diving and playing with one another.

    Kira sighed in relief, glad that they had a solid plan to take down the arena. She had been worried that they would be scrambling around, trying to organize everyone and meditate arguments from the other creatures. Despite being hardened prisoners and fighters, the animals collaborated quite easily with one another.

    She spiraled down to the ground, slightly reluctant to leave the sky after months of imprisonment. The base was almost finished, with only a roof left. It was big, thought it didn¡¯t have enough room for all the creatures. It was only meant to hold supplies and weapons.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    ¡°Rogue?¡± she called, weaving through the crowd of creatures, looking for her friend. ¡°Where are you?¡±

    ¡°Over here,¡± Rogue said, approaching her from the side of the base. ¡°What do you need?¡±

    ¡°I want you to organize the animals and bring them to the front of the base,¡± Kira told him. ¡°We¡¯re going to announce the plan to break in and destroy the arena.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it crazy,¡± Rogue mused, ¡°how just a few hours ago, we were trying to break out of the arena?¡±

    Kira smiled dryly. ¡°Ironic.¡±

    ¡°But yeah, I¡¯ll do that,¡± Rogue assured her. ¡°Just go to the front. Everyone will be there in no time.¡±

    Kira went to the doorway of the building, where Maximon and Laila were waiting.

    ¡°Rogue is getting everyone together,¡± she said.

    Laila examined her claws. ¡°We¡¯re going to take down those tyrants like chicks.¡±

    Maximon was gazing at the top of the arena, a calculating expression on his face. It was always hard to tell what he was thinking. His tongue flickered in and out of his mouth.

    The other creatures all congregated in front of the entrance, waiting expectantly for her to speak.

    Kira took a deep breath and began, ¡°We came up with a plan to break into the arena and destroy it from the inside.¡±

    Everyone became more interested, some making sounds of interest. All eyes were glued to Kira, and her ears flicked nervously. She continued, ¡°The first step involves the birds, who will carry any animal that will fit in their talons over the arena and onto the sands, where they will begin causing chaos throughout the crowd. The moles have dug tunnels into the sands, so the rest of us who aren¡¯t small enough to fly can come in and continued the attack. After everyone has been subdued¡ªI ask for you not to kill unless you absolutely have to¡ªwe open the gates and tumble the walls with whatever we have: our bare claws, fire, the guards¡¯ own weapons if we have to. And when we¡¯re done, everyone will know what happened here, and how we rose up to stop it!¡± She finished by jumping on her hind legs and spreading her wings, and everyone cheered.

    After the din died down, one mouse raised his paw tentatively. ¡°How will we make fire?¡± he squeaked.

    ¡°I can make fire,¡± Kira said. ¡°With my magic. We just have to be very careful when handling it. The plan begins at midday.¡±

    Everyone murmured in agreement, then split up to discuss who would go together. Kira stayed at the entrance to the base, answering questions and getting reports from the moles about the progress in the tunnels.

    The sun finally reached its peak, and the birds assembled in a line around the arena with their designated creatures, waiting for the signal to go. Kira waited until they were all in position, then threw a ball of rainbow light into the air. The birds spiraled up the clouds and then dove, straight towards the arena.

    ¡°Go!¡± Kira shouted, and all the remaining creatures spread out and ran into the mole holes.

    Kira herself flew above it all, making sure that no one was left behind before flying towards the arena sands. She passed stunned guards, some with slash marks on them, watching the spectacle in the arena.

    Kira coasted over the last wall and was greeted by shouts and screams, along with the smell of blood. Flashbacks triggered in her mind, and she shook her head to clear them. A sense of panic was pounding in her chest, but she did her best to ignore it.

    I¡¯m not a scared little kit anymore. I can fight without cringing and cowering like a baby seal.

    She shook her head once more and then dove into the crowd.

    The confusion was so great, it was easy for Kira to take down animal after animal. They didn¡¯t even realize she was next to them until it was too late, and they were being slammed into the seats. She didn¡¯t have time to calculate how much force to use that wouldn¡¯t cause them permanent damage, and she knew many of them probably wouldn¡¯t make it out alive.

    If they wanted to be fine, maybe they shouldn¡¯t have come to this torture house, she thought bitterly, pushing a cat to the ground and stomping on its chest.

    She flew from attacker to attacker, slashing and biting quickly, then using their weight to push herself off and land on the next animal.

    Suddenly, there were more shouts, and she paused momentarily to see all the other creatures rushing onto the battlefield, yelling for vengeance. She smiled triumphantly, and her eyes flickered to the Announcer trapped on his ¡°throne¡±, who looked extremely terrified of the animals circling below him, growling and hissing.

    ¡°Take this, eel eater!¡± Kira cried, then launched off the ground and onto the alligator, abandoning the battle.

    His eyes widened as he began to topple off the platform. ¡°No! No! I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t¡ªplease¡ª¡±

    ¡°You could¡¯ve left any time, or defended those poor creatures you sentenced to death,¡± Kira snarled. ¡°But you didn¡¯t, and now you have to pay.¡±

    He howled, then fell into the waiting clutches of the creatures below. Kira looked away, knowing that the other animals would not stick to their no-killing policy for the Announcer.

    She looked around and realized that every creature in the crowd was collapsed on the stands, some twitching and moaning, and others perfectly still. There were many wounds on the prisoners, but no losses. It was a victory.

    ¡°We did it!¡± someone said, and everyone cheered at the top of their lungs.

    ¡°Now we raze this place,¡± Kira said.

    <hr>

    It took until sunset, but it was worth it. The biggest creatures rammed into the base of the walls, scattering dust and bricks as it began to crumble. Kira burned everything she could with fire, which was all of the stands, the Announcer¡¯s throne, and the rooms for the guards.

    The moles dug holes underneath the foundation, and soon the entire structure was falling, and they were stomping it into dust. Everyone would make sure it never rose again.

    They gathered once again at the entrance to the base, exhausted but victorious.

    ¡°Thank you all,¡± Kira said. ¡°We finally have our freedom, and each of you played a vital role in gaining it. Now, at last, you can go back to whence you were taken from, or start anew from here. Farewell, and whether or not we¡¯ll cross paths again someday, I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°What about us?¡± a doe asked.

    Kira was startled by the question. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re our leader,¡± the doe said. ¡°What should we do without you? Who will take over?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± a lizard¡ªthe one that was next to Anala¡¯s cell, Kira noticed¡ªchimed in.

    The other animals shouted in agreement.

    Kira was torn. Here was a whole crowd of creatures asking for her guidance, and she was younger than over half of them. She needed to save Deya, and Cyalia as well. But what would these creatures do? They would be scarred forever, physically and emotionally. They were different from the others, having killed and fought for years, making them outcasts.

    Then an idea struck her.

    ¡°There is a Dragon destroying the continent,¡± she revealed. ¡°A Black Dragon, bigger than any other Dragon you¡¯ll ever see. He burned my village, and maybe the whole Fox Lands. He might rampage on the other Lands any time now, with his army of creatures from the Myth Continent. You could help stop him, and protect the other creatures from his tyranny.¡±

    The animals looked at each other, disputing among themselves.

    ¡°It¡¯s true!¡± one animal shouted. ¡°I¡¯m from the Myth Continent! I saw the Black Dragon firsthand, and it was he who transported me here and then threw me here when I didn¡¯t follow his orders!¡±

    There was no hesitation then. Choruses of ¡°We¡¯ll do it!¡± and ¡°Let¡¯s show those eels whose boss!¡± echoed through the crowd. Kira smiled, then turned to leave.

    ¡°Wait!¡± a mouse said. ¡°What about a leader?¡±

    Kira paused, then rotated back and scanned the crowd.

    ¡°Anala?¡± she called.

    The tigress limped forwards from the walls of the base. Remnants of blood and sand were still stuck in her slightly tattered fur, but a fierce, alert look was in her eyes.

    ¡°Would you lead these creatures against the army of the Black Dragon?¡± Kira asked.

    Anala looked at the hundreds of animals gathered in front of them. Her tail twitched slightly.

    ¡°I would,¡± she said strongly, lifting her chin slightly. ¡°If they would follow me, I would lead them with my best abilities.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d follow you!¡± a cat called.

    ¡°Me too!¡±

    ¡°So would I!¡±

    Kira smiled at the astounded tigress, who clearly hadn¡¯t expected such a warm welcome. ¡°There you go. Treat them well, my friend.¡±

    Tears of gratitude bubbled up in the corners of Anala¡¯s eyes. ¡°Thank you, Kira.¡± She hugged the white fox, and Kira hugged her back.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you again,¡± Kira promised. ¡°Someday.¡±

    ¡°Someday,¡± Anala agreed.

    Kira finally left, walking to the trees and disappearing under their cover.

    She hadn¡¯t made it two hundred feet before a voice called, ¡°Kira!¡±

    ¡°What now?¡± she said, feeling slightly impatient as she turned around. But instead of finding a clingy crowd of creatures, she was greeted by Rogue, Laila, and Liraz.

    ¡°We¡¯re coming with you,¡± Rogue said firmly.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re getting into,¡± Kira warned. ¡°I have to break into an underground prison¡ª¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s our specialty,¡± Liraz interrupted, grinning his adorable smile.

    ¡°And I have to defeat the Black Dragon,¡± Kira continued. ¡°I don¡¯t even know where to start¡ª¡±

    ¡°Which is why you need us,¡± Laila intoned, rolling her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t be a dummy. We¡¯re not backing down.¡±

    Kira gritted her teeth at the smug expressions on their faces, but she knew Laila was right.

    After a long staring contest, Kira sighed and gave in. ¡°Fine. But you have to listen to me when I want you to do something, and you can¡¯t get distracted.¡±

    ¡°Deal!¡± Liraz chirped, fluttering ahead of them. ¡°So where are we looking first? There¡¯s so much ground here, I don¡¯t know how we could search under it all! And there are worms everywhere in the ground, I would know! Do you think if I dug under here I would find a worm? What if¡­¡±

    Kira sighed, knowing she would have to live with Liraz¡¯s endless chatter from now on. But she was glad to have her friends with her.

    It was going to be a very difficult mission.

 Chapter 33: A Glimmer of Hope

    The Dragon was trying to escape.

    She had dug more room in her cell, so she was less cramped. The guards didn¡¯t notice when they came to get her¡ªit was too dark for them. It took so long, but she thought that if she could widen the cell, she could tunnel out of it.

    But she had reached stone.

    After hours and hours of digging, her claws hit solid stone. She couldn¡¯t break it or even put claw marks on it. All she could do was feel disappointed at her inability to break out. Plus, her chains had reached their limit, which she hadn¡¯t even thought about.

    She lay down in a curled ball, relieved that her back was no longer scraping the ceiling. Tears ran down her cheeks, no longer glowing with light magic. Her magic came from the sunlight and moonlight, but with no way to reach the surface, she was out completely. She supposed that all her tears had drained her reserves all out, and now there was definitely no way to escape.

    ¡°Why am I so stupid?¡± she cried to the darkness, clawing the walls with her frustration.

    ¡°You are,¡± the voice reached her, punctuated by the usual giggle.

    The Dragon glared in its direction. The voice didn¡¯t talk a lot, and when it did, it was to taunt and insult her. She was getting tired of it.

    She lay her head in between her claws, sighing. Then she lifted herself into a sitting position¡ªwith her head scraping the ceiling¡ªand gazed at the wall, which was covered in doodles and drawings, of one fox in particular.

    The Dragon found a small blank section of the stone and began drawing. She had gotten better after much practice, and even though she couldn¡¯t see at all, she could trace the lines to know what she drew. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    She started with the snout, pulled in an adorably fierce expression. The she drew the eyes, full of sorrow and anger and wonder at the same time. The cute little paws, too.

    The Dragon closed her eyes momentarily and smiled, remembering the feeling of that fox leaning onto her chest, crying for her family, looking desperately for comfort. The Dragon was glad to give it, and to sing for her. The fox didn¡¯t know it, but that had been the first time the Dragon had sung since being kicked out of her home, and it brought back something that the Dragon didn¡¯t even know was missing.

    She finished her drawing with a flourish for the fluffy tail, and then traced the lines, feeling the flying figure now permanently etched on the wall. Longing coursed through her veins, and a single tear fell free from her eye.

    ¡°Kira,¡± she whispered, quiet enough that the voice wouldn¡¯t hear.

    Suddenly, blinding light filled Deya¡¯s vision with an image in full color. She gasped and stumbled back, slamming her head into the ceiling by accident and then falling to the ground, gripping her head.

    It was Kira herself, only she looked so different. She was twice as big as she had been when Deya had last seen her, and her fur was longer. Her wing feathers looked ruffled and tattered. Old blood stained her paws. But the most defining detail was the scar that now ran down her eye and cheek, making her look so much older. The fierce, sassy look was gone from her eyes, replaced with confidence and so much more sorrow. Deya¡¯s heart lurched with sadness for the poor creature.

    She appeared to be talking to a few creatures, and even the way she moved when she communicated was different. Less demanding and whiny, more commanding and strong.

    ¡°Whoa,¡± Deya whispered, grinning. Was this Kira¡¯s future? Or was she looking at the fox now?

    She caught the name ¡°Deya¡± in their muffled conversation and gave a start. Were they talking about her?

    Was Kira coming to rescue her?

    Excitement bubbled up in her stomach. She wouldn¡¯t have to stay in the darkness for much longer! She could get out of here!

    And for the first time in a long while, Deya had hope.

 Chapter 34: Call On Cyfrincato

    ¡°Get your filthy claws off of my lunch or I¡¯ll slice them off!¡±

    ¡°Ooh, could you actually do that? How long would it take? Do you think it would be painful? I¡¯d look wicked cool though, right?¡±

    ¡°Just shut up and leave me alone!¡±

    ¡°But I want to find out!¡±

    ¡°Kiraaaa!¡±

    Kira groaned and rose up from her curled position on a bed of moss. Sunbeams hit her eyes as she stretched and flexed her wings open and closed. The smells and sounds of the forest surrounded her, providing a sense of both security and paranoia.

    ¡°What is it this time?¡± she asked impatiently. This was how she¡¯d woken up every single day since they¡¯d left the arena¡ªwith Liraz and Laila arguing. They always brought her into their fights, and the solutions were always temporary.

    ¡°Liraz won¡¯t let me eat in peace,¡± Laila complained, snapping her beak at the nosy bat when he got too close to the fish she clutched in her claws.

    ¡°Liraz, leave her be,¡± Kira said firmly. ¡°You¡¯ve already eaten your fruit. Let Laila have her fish.¡±

    ¡°But it smells so weird!¡± Liraz exclaimed, fluttering over to Kira and bopping her head with his wings repeatedly in his excitement.

    She waved him away with her paw. ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s Laila¡¯s, and she caught it fair and square. If you want one, go get Rogue to catch you one.¡±

    ¡°All Rogue catches is deer,¡± Liraz said grumpily, sitting on her head and folding his wings tight to his body. ¡°He says fish are too slimy.¡±

    ¡°They kind of are,¡± Kira pointed out. She herself would much rather prefer a chicken or a hare, but in a tight spot she could eat fish.

    ¡°Hmmph!¡± Liraz huffed. ¡°Fiiine, I¡¯ll leave her be.¡±

    He flapped off and smacked into a tree, then got up and continued flying with dignity. Kira shook her head at him, amused.

    ¡°Finally,¡± Laila said, rolling her eyes and then devoured the fish in one chomp of her beak.

    ¡°So what¡¯s the plan?¡± she asked when she was finished.

    Kira sighed. ¡°I have an inkling of one, but I don¡¯t think it will work.¡±

    Laila raised her eyebrow at the conflicted fox. ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­I kind of ruined it a while ago,¡± Kira admitted, scratching her neck with her paw.

    ¡°How so?¡± Laila¡¯s emotionless gaze was unwavering.

    ¡°I met an Earth Dragon once,¡± Kira told her, ¡°And he offered me help, but he was too vague. I got mad at him, then insulted him and refused any further conversation with him.¡±

    ¡°You insulted a Dragon?¡± Laila asked, looking mildly impressed. ¡°I underestimated your spunk, Flufftail.¡±Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Kira felt embarrassed. ¡°It was a stupid decision¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, it definitely was,¡± Laila agreed. ¡°But it takes a lot of guts to stand up to a Dragon.¡±

    Kira sighed. ¡°Whatever the case, I¡¯m not sure he would respond if I called on him. He said I could ask for help anytime, but I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got nothing to lose by trying,¡± Laila pointed out, picking up a rock and looking under it with feigned interest. ¡°Just don¡¯t expect any results.¡±

    Just then, Rogue stumbled into the clearing where they were, carrying a deer leg in his mouth. Liraz hovered after him, keeping a constant chatter going as he flew.

    ¡°Just in time!¡± Kira said, pleased. ¡°We¡¯re going to ask my acquaintance Cyfrincato for help on our mission.¡±

    Rogue raised an eyebrow and dropped his deer leg to speak. ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± Kira said. She took a deep breath, then called ¡°CYFRINCATO!¡± at the top of her lungs. ¡°CYFRINCATO, I NEED YOUR HELP!¡±

    For about five minutes, nothing happened.

    ¡°So¡­was there supposed to be some kind of magic, or¡­?¡± Liraz asked awkwardly, staring at Kira.

    Then, the ground rumbled beneath them. They all took a step back as a familiar mahogany Dragon emerged in the middle of the clearing, shaking off dirt onto all of them. Laila made a noise of disgust as some of it got onto her feathers.

    ¡°Whoa,¡± Liraz gaped. ¡°He¡¯s SOOOO big!¡±

    Cyfrin took one last shake of his head, then stared down at the small group of animals assembled far below him.

    ¡°You called, fox?¡± he asked in his deep voice. ¡°I admit, I did not expect to be reunited with you after your last cheerful goodbye.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve changed,¡± Kira said simply.

    ¡°That you have,¡± the great Dragon agreed, eying her with his wise, golden eyes. ¡°You have experienced much in these last moon cycles, little one.¡± His gaze traced her scar, then fell to her friends. ¡°And who are these lovely creatures behind you? No need to be afraid, Mister Bat. I don¡¯t eat things as small as you.¡±

    ¡°These are my friends,¡± Kira said as Liraz perched on top of her head once more, staring wide-eyed at Cyfrin. ¡°The bat is Liraz, the falcon is Laila, and the leopard is Rogue.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡± Cyfrin said cheerfully, smiling. ¡°I know of you, Rogue! You¡¯re the one who saved the Periculo village from famine by creating your own river! That was quite the event, I must say!¡±

    Rogue¡¯s eyes practically popped out of his head. ¡°You know about that?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Cyfrin chuckled. ¡°I know most things that happen on this continent. Including the demolition of one terrible arena.¡± He raised his eyebrows pointedly at them.

    ¡°Guilty,¡± Kira claimed. ¡°But if you knew about that, why didn¡¯t you stop it?¡±

    Cyfrin¡¯s expression grew slightly sad. ¡°Alas, the metal they used blocked my abilities to use the earth. The sand was too shifty for me to see what was happening, and all I had were rumors. I knew that there were many, many creatures coming and going for that place, so for all I knew, it was a very busy market. When it toppled, however, I received a pleasant visit from some moles who told me everything. I regret my blindness to that horrible place.¡±

    Kira nodded. ¡°But back to the reason I called you. I need your help to find Deya.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± Cyfrin¡¯s eyes twinkled cheerily. ¡°You have finally redirected your priorities, I see.¡±

    ¡°I have.¡± Kira¡¯s tail swished on the moss floor. ¡°Can you tell me where to find her? Is there another prison we don¡¯t know about, one that can hold Dragons?¡±

    ¡°There is something,¡± Cyfrin said, causing them all to lean forward eagerly. ¡°At the very tip of the jungle, there is an odd structure that even my eye cannot reach. I have asked a few creatures about it, but none of them know what I¡¯m talking about. I haven¡¯t traveled there yet, but I suppose it might be what you¡¯re looking for.¡±

    Kira¡¯s heart jumped for joy. ¡°Thank you, Cyfrin!¡± she cried, flapping her wings and grinning at him. He laughed.

    ¡°Is that the only lead you have?¡± Laila interjected, tilting her head.

    ¡°As of right now, yes,¡± Cyfrin told her.

    ¡°Thank you, Mister Earth Dragon,¡± Rogue said.

    Cyfrin waved his hand. ¡°Please. I don¡¯t do formalities. Call me Cyfrin.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Cyfrin,¡± Liraz said.

    Cyfrin smiled. ¡°Anytime, Kira and Friends. It was lovely meeting you all. Until next time! Farewell!¡±

    He waved his claw and then dove into the earth, disappearing with one last flick of his tree-sized tail.

 Chapter 35: The Morally Intelligent Creatures of Entry

    They left the clearing at around midday, heading west to where Cyfrin had said the prison was. Liraz switched between fluttering ahead of them and sitting on either Rogue or Kira¡¯s back. Laila stayed up in the air, a speck in the sky above them. Occasionally, her shadow would pass over them as she crossed between them and the sun. Maximon stayed below the earth, burrowing just as quickly as they were walking.

    Kira mostly stayed on the ground with Rogue, despite the ache her wings gave her. Sometimes she glided through the treetops, spotting swamps or cliffs before Rogue could go over them and telling him what lay ahead.

    ¡°So what was the thing Cyfrin was talking about, on the village of Periculo?¡± Kira asked, walking beside the large leopard.

    Rogue laughed. ¡°It was nothing, honestly¡ªhe was just making a big deal out of it. Basically, when I was little, my family came across a lion pride that was suffering from severe draught. They were very kind despite that fact, and let us stay a while. I was a wandering little kitten, and once when I was playing with a few of the lion cubs and my siblings, I found a large river that just disappeared into the ground. We filled up the hole where it disappeared and then dug a path for the water to go all the way to the middle of the territory. From then on, we were always welcome in the Periculo Pride, or Periculo Village as the other creatures call it.¡±

    ¡°Why call it Periculo Pride?¡± Kira asked.

    ¡°Us cats are more solitary creatures,¡± Rogue explained. ¡°We don¡¯t generally live in large ¡®villages¡¯ like the other creatures do. Every family of cats has their own designated territory, and when one of them gets tired of it, they go make their own family and claim their own territory. There¡¯s plenty for everyone. The only cats who live in villages are the ones in the jungle. I used to be there, but my family is one of the few wandering families, which means that we travel periodically from place to place at certain times of the year. We¡¯re well known throughout the territories¡­or at least, we were when I was last there.¡± Rogue suddenly looked sad. ¡°That was three eclipses ago, though.¡±

    ¡°Three eclipses?¡± Kira stopped in her tracks and looked at Rogue, feeling astounded and extremely pitiful.

    Rogue hung his head and continued walking. ¡°Yeah. I didn¡¯t get in as many arena fights as you did, though.¡±

    Kira trotted to catch up with him, unsure of what to say. ¡°I¡¯m¡­so sorry.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Rogue promised, giving her a lopsided grin when she was silent. ¡°Come on, stop giving me that worried look. I¡¯m here and it¡¯s over, and I survived! Yay me! I¡¯m sure that my family will welcome me back with open arms when I return after we defeat this Black Dragon.¡±

    Kira smiled. ¡°When. That¡¯s a nice word.¡±

    ¡°We will get rid of him,¡± Rogue said, sounding perfectly positive. ¡°I believe in you, Kira.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Kira said, feeling like she didn¡¯t deserve the praise. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll see after we rescue Deya.¡±

    They walked for a few more minutes in companionable silence, watching Liraz zip back in forth between trees in front of them.

    ¡°So who is this ¡®Deya¡¯ exactly?¡± Rogue finally asked, giving Kira a weird look. ¡°She is your friend, you said? Why did you ask Cyfrin if that prison can hold Dragons?¡±

    Kira was silent for a long moment, deducting how to answer.

    ¡°Deya is¡­a Dragon,¡± she said slowly, keeping her eyes on the mossy ground and the caterpillars inching by.

    ¡°Whoa,¡± Rogue said. ¡°You have some¡­connections.¡±

    The tense atmosphere dissolved between them as Kira cracked up. ¡°I guess I do,¡± she said, smiling broadly. ¡°Deya helped me after the Black Dragon destroyed my village and my family. She gave me my wings, actually.¡± Kira stretched her feathery appendages admiringly.

    ¡°Wait, really?¡± Rogue asked, eyes widening. ¡°She gave you those?¡±

    ¡°Did you seriously think I always had them?¡± Kira raised an eyebrow at him.

    ¡°I mean¡­¡± Rogue sounded slightly flustered. ¡°Yeah, kinda.¡±

    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t,¡± Kira said. ¡°Her magic tears gave me wings, and my powers as well.¡±

    ¡°Sheesh.¡± Rogue shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re powerful enough. If that Dragon gave you your light powers, I wouldn¡¯t want to be the one to make her mad.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Kira gazed into the trees. ¡°It makes me wonder what was powerful enough to capture her.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­scary,¡± Rogue commented. ¡°But I¡¯ll fight by your side, no matter what. Whatever your plan is, or what it¡¯s going to be, you can count on me to help.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Rogue,¡± Kira said, surprised. No one had ever said those words to her, and with that much conviction. His loyalty was clear, and Kira knew what he said was true.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Laila intoned, diving in between them and flaring her wings to stop her fall, landing neatly on the ground. ¡°There¡¯s a huge river ahead, and a bunch of rodents are guarding it with sticks. Just thought you might want to know.¡± She took off again.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°Kira! Rogue!¡± Liraz was flying towards them at a very high speed, looking panicked and excited. ¡°There are a bunch of furry little animals with poky wood things yelling fiercely at each other! They look so adorable! Can we keep a few?¡±

    Kira and Rogue exchanged glances and sighed as one.

    ¡°No, Liraz,¡± Kira said dryly. ¡°We are not adopting the rodents.¡±

    Liraz pouted. ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°They are creatures, just like us,¡± Kira said sternly. ¡°Let¡¯s go talk to them, I guess.¡±

    They walked for another minute as the trees slowly thinned out. Kira could hear running water and a strong fish smell, and after a few seconds, the Nexus came into view.

    Liraz and Laila were right: there was a small army of mice, weasels, and opossums gathered at the edge of the Nexus, shouting and yelling at seemingly nothing.

    They emerged uncertainly from the trees.

    ¡°Should we cross?¡± Kira asked, not quite sure what to do.

    ¡°I think we should try,¡± Rogue said, looking thoughtful.

    Maximon emerged from below them, shaking his body to rid the scales of dirt and flicking his tongue at the rodents.

    ¡°Those snackss¡ªer, rodents¡ªlook rather angry,¡± he hissed. ¡°But we can cross quickly, and if they attack us, it would be easy to take them out.¡±

    ¡°But only as a last resort,¡± Kira added quickly. ¡°Remember, guys, we¡¯re trying to not kill creatures.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Maximon said humbly. ¡°It¡¯s a hard habit to break, but for your sake, Kira, I will try.¡±

    ¡°Same,¡± Rogue said.

    They all glanced up at Laila, circling above them.

    Kira sighed. ¡°I think she will, too. She just acts tough to save face.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s mean,¡± Liraz observed.

    ¡°Only because you make her rise to anger,¡± Maximon said scornfully.

    They looked back at the shores of the Nexus. Kira took a deep breath, then opened her wings and glided across.

    ¡°OI!¡± a squirrel screamed at the top of his lungs. ¡°WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?¡±

    ¡°Um, just passing through!¡± Kira reassured, but it was too late. His shouting had got the attention of the rest of the rodents, and they were running towards her. Kira glanced over her shoulder at her friends, but they weren¡¯t even halfway across.

    ¡°IT¡¯S A FOX!¡± a mouse squeaked, also at the top of his voice. Kira¡¯s ears rang and her eyes watered.

    ¡°WHAT¡¯S YOUR NAME, FOX?¡± a weasel demanded.

    ¡°It¡¯s Kira,¡± she said. Should I shout as well, or can they hear well? Why are they yelling?

    ¡°WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THE RODENT LANDS, OH KIRA THE WEIRD-LOOKING FOX?¡± the weasel demanded. Kira decided that he looked like the leader of the group.

    ¡°I¡¯m just passing through¡ªand hey, I¡¯m not weird!¡± Kira protested.

    He paid her no heed. ¡°AND WHY ARE YOU PASSING THROUGH, OH KIRA THE WEIRD-LOOKING FOX?¡±

    The other rodents all nodded and said ¡°HEAR, HEAR!¡± in agreement.

    ¡°PERHAPS SHE IS A THEIF, COMING TO STEAL ALL OF OUR FOOD!¡± an opossum suggested. The animals gasped in offense and glared at her, yelling death threats to the skies.

    ¡°WHAT IF SHE¡¯S HERE TO EAT US ALIVE?¡± a marsupial-looking creature suggested, wringing her tiny paws. The rodents shouted louder.

    ¡°I¡¯M HERE TO RESCUE MY FRIEND!¡± Kira yelled. Her words were greeted with instant silence, ringing through the air.

    ¡°FELLOWS, THE FOX HAS NOBLE INTENTIONS!¡± the weasel finally announced after several moments of silence. All the rodents cheered.

    ¡°ARE YOU IN NEED OF ANY ASSISTANCE, KIRA THE WEIRD-LOOKING FOX?¡± the weasel asked.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m good,¡± Kira said, wincing at the sheer volume of each of their statements.

    ¡°OI!¡± The same squirrel who had spotted Kira came sprinting over, waving a pointed stick over his head. ¡°MORE NEWCOMERS! ONE OF THEM IS A SNAKE!¡±

    ¡°SNAKE! SNAKE! SNAKE!¡± the other rodents squeaked in revulsion.

    ¡°WAIT!¡± Kira howled. ¡°Those are my friends!¡±

    There was a pause.

    ¡°THE WEIRD FOX HAS COMRADES!¡± the weasel trumpeted. ¡°WE WILL CHECK THEM OUT AND NOT HURT THEM, FOR THEY ARE HELPING HER WITH HER NOBLE QUEST!¡±

    The rodents cheered once again.

    Oh, Great Dragons above, Kira sighed inwardly. These animals were clearly not very intelligent.

    ¡°What the fritz is going on?¡± Rogue asked, looking confused and amused at the same time.

    ¡°These rodents appear to be guarding the Nexus,¡± Maximon observed.

    ¡°They¡¯re so adorable,¡± Liraz said, eyes wide.

    ¡°WHO ARE YOU?¡± the weasel hollered.

    All of Kira¡¯s friends looked at her, confused.

    ¡°The leopard is Rogue,¡± Kira introduced. ¡°The bat is Liraz. The snake¡ª¡±

    ¡°SNAKE! SNAKE! SNAKE!¡± the rodents yelled.

    ¡°The snake¡¯s name is Maximon,¡± Kira finished.

    Her friends waved to the enthusiastic crowd of tiny animals.

    ¡°ARE YOU ALL ASSISTING WITH KIRA THE WEIRD-LOOKING FOX¡¯S NOBLE QUEST TO SAVE HER FRIEND?¡± the weasel asked.

    ¡°Yes, we are,¡± Maximon answered. His tongue flickered hungrily, and Kira gave him a warning glance. He tried to look innocent, but Kira had her eye on him.

    ¡°Why are you guys here?¡± Kira questioned. ¡°I don¡¯t remember ever being told that there was an army guarding the border to the Rodent Lands.¡±

    ¡°IT¡¯S A VERY RECENT DEVELOPMENT,¡± the weasel explained. ¡°WE ARE THE MORALLY INTELLIGENT CREATURES OF ENTRY, OR M. I. C. E. FOR SHORT. WE GUARD THE ENTRANCE TO OUR HOME WITH VIGILANCE, AND PROTECT OTHER RODENTS IN DANGER.¡±

    ¡°Wow!¡± Liraz said. ¡°So like, you¡¯re the self-elected guardians of the Rodent Lands? Wicked!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your name, then?¡± Rogue tilted his head at the weasel.

    ¡°MY NAME IS RANGER!¡± The weasel puffed out his chest importantly. ¡°YOU ALL MAY PASS THROUGH, INCLUDING THE SNAKE. IF YOU EVER NEED US, SEND WORD!¡±

    ¡°Wow,¡± Kira said, a little stunned that they had gained Ranger¡¯s loyalty that quickly, and yet doubting that they would ever need his help. ¡°Why would you help us?¡±

    ¡°US RIGHTEOUS CREATURES STICK WITH ONE ANOTHER,¡± Ranger said. ¡°SOMETIMES IT IS HARD TO FIND OTHERS LIKE US. SO WE LOOK OUT FOR ONE ANOTHER.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± was all Kira could say. ¡°Until next time, I guess.¡±

    ¡°FAREWELL!!!¡± the rodents screeched. Kira and her friends covered their ears and walked away into the forest. And when Kira looked back, she could still see the rodent army waving their sticks and shouting to the world their oaths and vows that they would do their best to keep.

 Chapter 36: Crazy Cast

    Kira sat in the branches of a tree, watching the moon. It was refreshing to see it in all of its glory after so many months of imprisonment. Its light invigorated her, and even when it was gone, the stars kept her company. She found herself wistfully imagining her and Deya flying through the clouds together, laughing and diving through the wispy clouds.

    But when she opened her eyes, she found empty sky and aching loneliness.

    Kira knew it wasn¡¯t fair to her friends. They were amazing and kind, and each one had a special place in her heart. But nothing could fill the hole that Deya had left when she disappeared into the fog below Kira¡¯s paws.

    A shadow passing by shook Kira from her revere, and she scanned the sky, her eyes sharpening. The illumination of a feathered wing caught her eye, and she realized that Laila was out for a midnight hunt. The falcon spent most of her time in the sky, and when she was on the ground, she was irritable and grumpy¡ªeven more so than usual. The closer they got to the Jungle, the worse she was. It was almost like she was dreading their destination.

    As Kira watched, Laila tucked in her wings and dove, like a missile heading for its target. She was a blur, faster than anything Kira had ever seen. The pure amount of speed behind Laila¡¯s tail feathers was phenomenal. She disappeared into the trees, and then shot back up to the sky with something caught in her talons. Kira really hoped that it wasn¡¯t a rodent, but she doubted that Laila would do something like that.

    Kira sighed. Laila, Rogue, Maximon, and her had to sustain themselves on berries and vegetables and small fish, the only food that was in the rodent lands. Kira was always hungry, and she could tell that her friends felt the same.

    Well, except for Liraz. The little bat could eat anything and everything, and it didn¡¯t matter how much he ate. To be fair, he was tiny, so he didn¡¯t need that much. But even with the food shortage, he had bunches of energy.

    Kira sighed, then flared her wings and launched off the branch she was on, spiraling down silently to lie on the ground. She closed her eyes, curled up in a ball, and slowly drifted to sleep, restlessly fighting off the images of fire and blood that she saw every night.

    <hr>

    Morning dawned, the birds singing their welcome song to the rays of warmth that greeted Kira when she opened her eyes.

    Then a bat smacked into her face.

    ¡°AACK!¡± Kira yelped, scrambling backwards onto her feet. Then her brain woke up, and she stood still, panting heavily. ¡°Liraz¡­?¡±

    ¡°Morning!!¡± Liraz chirruped, peeling himself off of her eye lids and grinning at her. From his perch on her snout. ¡°Isn¡¯t it LOVELY? It hurts my eyes a lot, but I like pain! I don¡¯t know how you diurnal animals deal with it your whole lives, though. Nights are so much calmer!¡±

    ¡°Yes, they are, Liraz,¡± Kira agreed, sighing inwardly as she gently shoved him off of her nose. ¡°Now why don¡¯t you go scout around and tell me how close we are to Avaye?¡±

    ¡°Ok!¡± Liraz cried cheerfully, then flapped off into the trees, smacking into branches as he flew. Kira watched him until he was out of her sight, then sniffed the air for any possible food.

    ¡°Splendid morning, isn¡¯t it?¡± Maximon hissed, slithering from behind a tree and giving Kira a curious, yet knowing glance.

    Kira nodded, her tail flipping from side to side as she stared at the sunbeams peeking through the leaves.

    ¡°Rogue is that way,¡± Maximon said, pointing his tail to the trees. ¡°There¡¯s a berry patch there.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Maximon,¡± Kira said, relieved that there was some food nearby.

    ¡°No problem,¡± he said, absentmindedly gazing at a snail on a mossy rock.

    Kira left him there, walking in the direction that he pointed in. After a minute or two, she found the berry patch he was talking about, and Rogue as well.

    ¡°Ugh.¡± Rogue gagged down a few berries. ¡°These are so sour and weird. I hate not being able to eat any meat.¡±

    ¡°Me too,¡± Kira agreed. ¡°Though berries aren¡¯t so bad. They¡¯re just more of an acquired taste, I guess.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right about that,¡± Rogue agreed, grimacing as he swallowed another berry.

    Kira began to bite off her own berries, making a face as well at their bitterness. ¡°We¡¯re getting close,¡± she said after swallowing. ¡°I sent Liraz off to check how far away the border is.¡±

    Rogue chuckled. ¡°Did he wake you up, too?¡±

    Kira nodded, grinning.

    Just then, they could hear quite flapping from the trees. Liraz emerged, smiling. ¡°We¡¯re really close to Avaye!¡± he announced. ¡°All we have to do is pass a small mountain, and then we¡¯ll be in the Bird Lands.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Liraz,¡± Kira said, wiping her mouth with her paw and then gazing at the sky. ¡°We should be able to make it by sundown, I believe.¡±

    ¡°Excellent,¡± Maximon said, slithering into the berry clearing. ¡°Based on our speed, it should take about a week to get to the prison where they are holding your friend, or at least where Cyfrin said it would be.¡±

    Kira¡¯s spirits dampened slightly. A whole week? And they didn¡¯t even know if that was the actual prison. What if it wasn¡¯t, and they could never find Deya?

    She pushed aside those thoughts and put on a smile for the sake of her friends, who were gazing at her expectantly. ¡°That¡¯s great! I¡¯ll go tell Laila.¡±

    Kira spread her colored plumage and took off, flying in circles to gain altitude.

    ¡°Laila!¡± she called, looking from side to side. ¡°Where are you?¡±

    Laila flew to her side very suddenly, causing Kira to drop a few feet in surprise. ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll reach our destination in about a week,¡± Kira told her. ¡°We¡¯re really close to Avaye. Liraz says we just have to pass a mountain.¡±

    Laila nodded, looking a bit distant. ¡°That¡¯s¡­great, I guess.¡± In that moment, her voice changed. Instead of the usual emotionless words she used, there was meaning behind her sentence¡ªfear¡­or dread.

    They were both silent for a minute, listening to the wind whistling in their ears.

    ¡°Laila, what¡¯s up?¡± Kira finally asked. ¡°You seem so unenthusiastic. I know that¡¯s kind of, like, your thing, but this is weird, even for you.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Laila asked, acting like she hadn¡¯t heard.

    ¡°Laila¡­do you not want us to succeed?¡±

    There was another long beat of silence.

    ¡°No¡­it¡¯s not that.¡± Laila wouldn¡¯t make eye contact. ¡°Kira, you¡­you wouldn¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°Try me.¡± Kira flipped on her belly and flew under Laila, giving her a determined stare.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± Laila evaded her, flapping her wings and flying higher. ¡°I¡¯ll follow you guys from above.¡± Her voice was back to normal, and she drifted away from Kira, the wind whipping her spread tail feathers behind her.

    Kira narrowed her eyes at the shrinking falcon figure in the sky. There was something wrong with Laila, and she was going to find out.

    <hr>

    That day, they passed the mountain, like Liraz had said. Very little to no rodents were out and about, which surprised Kira. It wasn¡¯t like any territory of Cyalia to be deserted, and she wondered if it was an omen or simply coincidence.

    ¡°Look!¡± Rogue said, pointing. Kira looked, and there was light beyond the forest. Her ears picked up the sound of roaring water in the cool breeze of the setting sun.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± she said, picking up speed as she walked. Her friends followed in her wake, with Liraz flapping right on her tail.

    They emerged out of the forest right on the edge of the Nexus. It was very wide here, but not incredibly fast. Kira flew over and waited for the others, just like last time.

    There were trees on this side of the Nexus as well, which surprised Kira a bit. She had been expecting the large, open field that had greeted her when she first came out of Aya.

    Welcome to Avaye, the Bird Lands, Deya¡¯s words echoed in her head. For a second, she could still feel the Dragon¡¯s presence, lighting up the scene around her and making everything better. But then the illusion disappeared like a wisp of smoke, and Kira was left with a large, empty feeling in her gut.

    Water droplets hit her from behind as Rogue shook the water off of his fur. ¡°Where are we in the Bird Lands?¡± he wondered, looking around.

    ¡°The very southern edge, close to the edge of the Plains,¡± Maximon answered as he joined them on land. Liraz followed behind them, burbling something about sparkly water.

    ¡°We won¡¯t be in Avaye for very long,¡± Kira said. ¡°But we need to rest for the night. The sun is long gone, and I don¡¯t know what animals are lurking around nowadays.¡±

    Everyone nodded, and Kira found a nice area for them to rest for the night. She fell asleep in her usual curled position, thinking about how weird it was that everyone followed her instructions.

    <hr>

    The singing of birds did not greet Kira in the morning, rather the buzzing of insects¡ªin the trees, on the ground, and swarming in the air. The earth was covered in dew and wiggling worms making their descent back into the ground.

    Kira yawned and stretched, then realized that she was the first one awake. Now that she heard all the bugs, she wondered how she could have stayed asleep at all.

    She heard a rustling from her side. I¡¯m not the first one up, apparently, she thought. She turned and saw bird prints in the dirt where someone had just stepped.

    Laila.

    Kira followed the tracks, which led towards the north edge of the trees. I wonder where she¡¯s going.

    After five minutes, Kira reached the Plains, crouching in the bushes. The tall grass waved back and forth in the ripples of wind, waving cheerily to the sun. Butterflies, bees, and all sorts of insects made the grass teem with life. Laila sat at the edge of it all, gazing at the horizon.

    Kira¡¯s suspicions immediately dissolved. She misses her home.

    The falcon stayed sitting there, looking longingly at the Plains.

    After a while, Kira became confused. Why doesn¡¯t she just go back if she wants to so much? She knows that she doesn¡¯t have to stay with me.

    Finally, Laila took a deep breath and stepped out into the fields, looking around happily. She spread and folded her wings, stomping her feet and then lifting her talon to look at it.

    Suddenly, there was a screech from above, and Laila shrank back in fear. Another falcon shot down from the sky and landed next to her, flaring her wings to stop her momentum.

    Kira gasped, though no one heard her. The resemblance between Laila and this new falcon was phenomenal. They were the same purple color, though this bird had more grey than Laila did. But they had the same expression, the same feather pattern, and the same eyes. Only, this bird looked more smug, while Laila looked emotionless. And also, Laila¡¯s talons were bloodstained, while this falcon¡¯s feet were pristine.

    ¡°So,¡± the falcon said, drawing out the word and smirking at Laila. ¡°The disappointment comes back, though we told her not to.¡±

    Another falcon, a male, dropped down as well, also with a sassy look on his face. He too bared a strong resemblance to Laila. Kira was beginning to like these new birds less and less. ¡°Mother will be soooo interested. Her least favorite chick, back again! What a day!¡±

    ¡°Hello to you too, Prudence and Etain,¡± Laila grumbled. ¡°And I¡¯m just passing through with some friends.¡±

    ¡°You have friends?¡± the female falcon (Etain?) gasped theatrically, then giggled. ¡°Yeah right. You¡¯ve come back to annoy us again!¡±

    Prudence cackled with her, then used his talons to swipe Laila¡¯s face. She flinched, but not fast enough, and soon there was blood running down her cheek.

    ¡°HEY!¡± Kira shouted, pouncing out of her spot in the bushes and onto Prudence, growling and snapping her teeth.

    ¡°Kira!¡± Laila cried, at the same time as Prudence shouted, ¡°What is this feathered piece of shizernoodles?!¡±

    Prudence wiggled his talons in between his body and Kira¡¯s, then threw her off of him with all his might. Kira spread her wings to catch herself, then skidded on the ground, baring her teeth.

    ¡°Who is this?¡± Etain demanded, glaring at Kira.

    ¡°My friend,¡± Laila said miserably. ¡°Kira, you shouldn¡¯t have stepped in! I can handle this on my own!¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah? Like you handled that?¡± Kira challenged, pointing to the scratch on Laila¡¯s cheek.

    Laila looked at her talons.

    Etain snorted, then looked up. ¡°Oh, good,¡± she said with an air of triumph. ¡°Mother¡¯s coming!¡±

    They all looked up to see a giant falcon descending upon them, with viciously sharp talons and a beak that could slice deer open with a single jerk of her head. Her eyes were haughty and heartless, and her feathers were purple with grey tips. She was almost twice the size of Laila, and looked down on her disdainfully as she landed amongst them.

    ¡°Ugh. You again?¡± she said, raising an eyebrow. She scanned the area around them, and her eyes fell on Kira. ¡°Oooh. What is this?¡±

    ¡°We found her, Mother,¡± Etain said proudly, gesturing a wing to Laila. ¡°Just like you asked us too.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± The falcon waved her talons carelessly, her eyes still on Kira. ¡°I guess you aren¡¯t that much of a disappointment.¡±

    Prudence groaned and got to his feet, shaking his feathers.

    ¡°You!¡± the mother falcon snapped at him. ¡°You let yourself get surprised by this ball of pacifist fluff?¡±

    Kira scoffed in offense. ¡°I am not¡ª"

    ¡°Yes, Mother,¡± Prudence admitted. ¡°But it will not happen again, I promise.¡±

    ¡°It better not,¡± the falcon agreed. Then she turned to Kira and her friend. ¡°Laila,¡± she said, like it was a byword. ¡°You¡¯re back. Didn¡¯t I tell you to leave here forever, you worthless piece of dirt?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk to my friend like that,¡± Kira said fiercely, before Laila could answer. ¡°She¡¯s not worthless. She¡¯s certainly better than you, you vain chicken!¡±

    ¡°You DARE?¡± The falcon ruffled her feathers and spread her wings, scowling at Kira with the force of a laser beam.

    But Kira didn¡¯t back down. ¡°You leave her alone. We¡¯re on a mission, one that will affect all of Cyalia. So unless you want your home to go down in flames, you will leave right now.¡±

    ¡°Is that a threat?¡± the falcon asked, amused. ¡°I will have you know, I am trained in the battle tactics of my ancestors. I could strike you down right now if I wanted. You should be bowing down to me, grateful to be alive. Just because you have¡­whatever that hideous plumage is, doesn¡¯t make you better than me. I, the one and only Louvayn, am the greatest!¡±

    ¡°No, you aren¡¯t,¡± Laila said, glaring. ¡°I¡¯ve met creatures far better than you, Falcon-Who-Doesn¡¯t-Deserve-To-Be-Called-My-Mother. Creatures of the lowliest places, with no families or ties. You don¡¯t scare me anymore. I was your servant for years, groveling pathetically at your feet. But that chick is gone.¡±

    ¡°Aww,¡± Etain drawled in a baby voice. ¡°The wittle chick has finally gwown up!¡±

    ¡°You think you¡¯re so tough because of those bloodstains?¡± Prudence mocked.

    ¡°Face it, Disappointment,¡± Louvayn said, examining her talons. ¡°You¡¯ll never get rid of me. And now I can make you my servant again, as your punishment for returning without my permission.¡±

    ¡°No, you won¡¯t,¡± Kira growled, her hackles raising. ¡°Not if I have something to say about it.¡±

    Louvayn laughed. ¡°Oh? And what are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°This.¡± Kira felt the energy inside her grow hot, and her eyes went white.

    But before she could deliver the magic blow, Laila yelled, ¡°Kira, wait!¡±

    Kira felt her magic dissipate, and she looked at the terrified falcon. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t do it,¡± Laila said. ¡°We have a no killing policy, remember?¡±

    Kira looked from Laila to Louvayn. ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Leave her be,¡± Laila instructed. ¡°We¡¯ll go on our way. I don¡¯t plan on ever seeing them again. Just¡­just don¡¯t kill them, okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Kira said hesitantly.

    ¡°Aww, she cares about us!¡± Etain smirked at them. ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m fine with never seeing you again. But whatever Mother says.¡±

    They all looked to Louvayn, who looked slightly shaken but was hiding it well. ¡°Fine. But if we do cross paths again¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll show you what my favorite snack looks like, front row seats,¡± Kira snarled. ¡°Come on, Laila. Let¡¯s get away from these losers.¡±

    They walked back to the clearing rather than fly to it, both silent. Kira¡¯s heart ached for Laila, and she kept wondering what it would be like to live in a family that horrible.

    They reached the trees bordering the clearing and paused.

    ¡°Kira¡­¡± Laila began. ¡°I just wanted to say¡­thanks.¡±

    Kira smiled. ¡°Any time.¡±

 Chapter 37: Maximons Worst Fear

    When they got back to the clearing, it was to three very worried creatures calling their names loudly into the trees.

    ¡°Where have you been?¡± Rogue cried when he saw them. ¡°We¡¯ve been so worried!¡±

    ¡°I told you they were taking a morning flight!¡± Liraz said. ¡°But no, neither of you believed me.¡±

    ¡°The ratio between the time that they were gone and the amount of danger in these parts was slowly increasing, which made us worried,¡± Maximon said. ¡°We¡¯re glad that it was nothing.¡±

    ¡°Actually, it wasn¡¯t nothing,¡± Kira said. Then she went on to explain how they met Laila¡¯s family and what had happened, with Laila wincing at every sentence.

    ¡°Woah. You have a crazy, bloodthirsty mother with two gremlins for siblings?¡± Liraz asked when Kira had finished, eyes wide. ¡°No wonder you¡¯re so grumpy all the time. So sorry!¡±

    Laila chuckled. ¡°At least you¡¯re apologizing. I appreciate the comparisons, though. My siblings are definitely gremlins.¡±

    ¡°But they won¡¯t go after us anymore, correct?¡± Rogue questioned.

    Kira shook her head. ¡°I scared them pretty good.¡±

    ¡°So we can keep going, then,¡± Maximon said. ¡°Part of the day is already gone. We have a few hours of lost time to make up for.¡±

    ¡°It was worth it,¡± Kira said fiercely. ¡°They deserved a little reminder of where they stand in the world.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s keep going, then,¡± Laila said. And when she took to the sky, she barely cleared the treetops instead of going to the clouds, clearly keeping an eye on them. Kira smiled.

    <hr>

    For two days they traveled, crossing rivers and lakes, and entering the Savannah in Beyda. Rogue kept glancing around, looking for more of his kind, but they only found a few cougars and servals, who kept their distance. Kira felt bad for him, and felt her hopes rise with his every time they saw another creature.

    ¡°We¡¯ll come back,¡± Kira promised. ¡°We¡¯ll find them.¡±

    Rogue smiled, a determined look in his eyes. ¡°We will.¡±

    On the third day, they entered the Jungle.

    Hot, humid air blasted them from all directions, baking them from inside out. Kira found herself always panting, trying to get rid of the heat. Birds and bugs chirped and buzzed in a cacophony of noise that assaulted Kira¡¯s sensitive ears. Moss and mud was everywhere, and quicksand as well. Vines draped from branches far above them, and only filtered sunlight reached them from on the ground. Ferns reached towards them from below.

    ¡°Woah,¡± Liraz said. He immediately raced for the brightly colored fruits that hung on various trees, coming in all shapes and sizes.

    Rogue grinned. ¡°Welcome to my old home.¡±

    ¡°This is the best place I have ever seen,¡± Maximon said. ¡°It¡¯s got the perfect temperature and everything.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about the temperature,¡± Kira said. ¡°But it¡¯s definitely something.¡±

    Laila touched down on the ground next to them. ¡°This place is huge. It stretches for miles and miles, just green trees. No wonder there¡¯s a prison hidden here¡ªit would be so hard to find.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s get searching,¡± Kira said. ¡°Cyfrin said the structure was at the northern tip of the Jungle. We¡¯ve got a long, long way to go from here.¡±

    <hr>

    After about a day, they found a large clearing full of snakes.

    ¡°My brethren!¡± Maximon said cheerfully. ¡°Hello!¡±

    But the snakes didn¡¯t respond.

    ¡°H-hello?¡± he asked again.

    ¡°Maximon¡­¡± Kira said soothingly, walking up beside him. ¡°They aren¡¯t sentient snakes. They¡¯re the Dragon-given snakes, which means they don¡¯t have souls like other creatures.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Maximon breathed, shaking his head, his eyes wide. ¡°No, they¡¯re real, and it¡¯s my fault they¡¯re this way. I left my fellow snakes, and they¡¯re coming back to get me.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°Maximon, calm down,¡± Kira said sternly. ¡°They are not attacking you. We¡¯re in the Jungle, remember?¡±

    But Maximon wouldn¡¯t listen. Liraz tried flapping his wings in front of the distressed snake¡¯s face, but his eyes didn¡¯t see them.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen him like this,¡± Rogue said softly as they watched Maximon thrash on the ground. ¡°It terrifies me. What are we going to do?¡±

    Kira gazed up at the trees, watching the sunbeams filter through. ¡°We need to keep moving. We should comfort Maximon while we walk. And maybe getting him away from the other snakes will snap him out of it.¡±

    ¡°Good plan, Flufftail,¡± Laila said. ¡°Only, how are we going to carry him? He¡¯s moving more than a weasel with too much energy.¡±

    ¡°You could pick him up with your talons,¡± Kira suggested. ¡°Or Rogue and I could sling him over our backs and walk like that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll carry him,¡± Laila sighed. She hovered in the air and gently grabbed Maximon¡¯s body with her talons. It took both of her feet to pick up the middle of his body, and Laila grunted with the effort.

    ¡°Do you need us to¡­?¡± Kira asked.

    ¡°No, I got it,¡± Laila said, flapping hard. ¡°We¡¯ll just need to rest more often.¡±

    ¡°Hang in tight, Maximon,¡± Rogue said.

    <hr>

    By sundown, Maximon¡¯s mental state had not improved. He continued to mutter and hiss words and apologies under his breath, his slit eyes flickering and darting from one place to another while never seeing anything.

    ¡°What can we do?¡± Liraz asked, looking shaken. ¡°I want the old Maximon back.¡±

    ¡°I know, Liraz,¡± Kira reassured. ¡°It will be okay.¡±

    ¡°We tried talking to him,¡± Laila said. ¡°We tried punching him into sense. We tried splashing him with water. We tried waving food under his tongue. What else is there for us to do?¡±

    ¡°Maybe Kira can use her magic,¡± Rogue pointed out. ¡°Like, a flashing light in his eyes that brings him back?¡±

    ¡°I could try,¡± Kira said hesitantly, not wanting to raise any hope. ¡°Only, I don¡¯t know how to make flashing lights. I can only do lightning and healing.¡±

    ¡°Try healing him, then,¡± Laila suggested.

    Kira walked up to the writhing snake and placed a paw on his wiggling body. She took a deep breath, then channeled her magic gently into him. His body relaxed, and Kira took a step back, amazed that it worked.

    But two seconds later, Maximon returned to wriggling, and Kira¡¯s face fell.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t it work?¡± Liraz asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Kira said, clutching her tail in between her paws. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t know! What did I do wrong?¡±

    ¡°Maybe you can¡¯t heal mental problems, like grief,¡± Rogue guessed.

    Grief¡­

    ¡°No, Deya could calm grief,¡± Kira argued, pacing. ¡°There has to be some trick to it.¡±

    ¡°Do you remember how she did it?¡± Laila interrogated.

    Kira stopped pacing and squinted into the distance, trying to recall the feeling of peace that had come over her. There had been a breeze, and colors, and¡­music.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s¡­singing,¡± Kira realized.

    ¡°Like what you did in the arena?¡± Rogue questioned.

    Kira nodded. ¡°I might be able to recreate it.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll keep quiet,¡± Laila said.

    Kira breathed in and out, trying to forget that she was sitting on a muddy jungle floor while one of her friends thrashed next to her, and summoned the memories that triggered her magic.

    She remembered Deya falling into the fog as she called lightning and tried to protect her but failed. I left, too, when I could have helped. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve faced, Maximon, but I feel you.

    She remembered her mother¡¯s whispered words as she bled out on the Big Field. I left my family and my fellow creatures in a bloodstained landscape.

    And then she sang it out, without words, but with emotion, like she had before. She sang with everything she had, not for herself or even for Laila, Rogue, or Liraz, but for Maximon. She couldn¡¯t lose him, and she wouldn¡¯t.

    Kira didn¡¯t know how long she sang for, but when she opened her eyes, the scenery had completely changed. Soft grass had grown under their feet, along with bunches of colorful flowers and vines. Butterflies fluttered around them, and the sunlight seemed to reach them easier than before.

    But the biggest change was Maximon. He had stopped thrashing, and was now awake and coiled up in a ball, looking reinvigorated and humiliated at the same time.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he whispered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know what got into me¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Kira said, walking over and sitting down next to him. ¡°Do you want to talk about it? We won¡¯t judge you.¡±

    Rogue, Laila, and Liraz came over as well, and they all sat in a circle, looking attentively at Maximon.

    The snake took a deep breath. ¡°I come from a place where food was very scarce. The alligators and crocodiles dominated the swamp I lived in, taking almost all of the food for themselves and their companions. The snakes were forced to live in the woods, out of the sunlight and where rats or mice never walked. We were dying slowly, not able to live off of the worms and field mice that we found. But one day, I decided to change things. I ventured into the alligator pool and swiped a bunch of rodents for my fellow snakes, and they were forever grateful. From that day on, I was seen as sort of the leader of things around there. Everyone looked up to me, and while it was a lot of pressure, I never broke or failed them. I promised I would never leave them, and they believed me. I was terrified of leaving them.

    ¡°But then, as I was gathering more mice, one of the alligators spotted me. He grabbed me and smacked me against the ground until I could barely breathe, then took me to the arena.

    ¡°I never fulfilled my promise. I left them alone, in a cruel world, where the alligators would always be on the watch from now on. I always wonder how things are going, or if they¡¯re all dead by now.¡±

    There were a few minutes of silence after that.

    Then Liraz fluttered over to Maximon and hugged the snake¡¯s body with his wings, gazing up at him with wide, dilated eyes. ¡°We still love you, Maximon. Your snakes would understand if they knew what you went through.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Maximon said quietly. ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Positive,¡± Rogue said firmly.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s get going.¡± Maximon etched a determined look on his face and slithered in front of them, with everyone trailing behind. And Kira knew that day that everyone in their group had gotten just a little bit closer.

 Chapter 38: The Delve Into Darkness

    It was the sixth day onwards when Maximon said they had reached their destination.

    The snake had been pushing them to travel longer each day, until they were walking in the night as well. Kira assumed that Maximon felt guilty of the time that they had lost, and wanted to make up for it.

    They stopped on top a cliff, where they could see where the Nexus converged and the Fox Lands, Bird Lands, and Cat Lands met. The treetops were woven incredibly close together, making it impossible to see through them. The perfect place to hide a prison.

    ¡°There it is,¡± Laila said, narrowing her eyes. ¡°Or, at least, we¡¯re pretty sure. But how do we know?¡±

    Every bone in Kira¡¯s body wanted to charge into the forest with her magic blasting every tree to smithereens, but she knew that wouldn¡¯t work. ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to spy on it,¡± Maximon said. ¡°See where the entrance is, and who or what is guarding it.¡±

    Kira growled. ¡°Ugh. I hate waiting.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s our only chance,¡± Rogue said, not sounding too patient himself. ¡°Eventually, one of the guards has to go out to get food or water. That¡¯s when we strike.¡±

    <hr>

    It took approximately one whole day before their plan worked. Four hawks soared out from beneath the trees at dawn one morning, wearing armor on their bodies.

    Kira jumped for joy. ¡°Yes! Yes! I can¡¯t believe it! It¡¯s here! It worked!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s get ¡®em,¡± Laila said.

    ¡°They headed to the Nexus,¡± Kira said. ¡°Rogue, you and Maximon meet us there.¡±

    Both Rogue and Maximon nodded. Kira took off, energy pulsing through her body in a torrent of adrenaline. It was happening. They were busting Deya out.

    The wind whistled behind Kira, cheering her on to her mission. The fox could just imagine the happiness on Deya¡¯s face when she was rescued. She smiled to herself, and sped up towards the large, feathered figures in the distance.

    The hawks descended, and Kira and Laila dove into the treetops before they were seen. They silently glided to where the hawks had landed, both of them perching on the same branch to spy on their enemies.

    ¡°Finally,¡± one of the hawks grunted. Water was running down his belly feathers, indicating that he just drank from the river. ¡°I thought I was going to die of thirst in there.¡±

    ¡°Oh, stop complaining, Blair,¡± another hawk snapped. ¡°You get more food and water than any of the rest of us.¡±

    Blair smirked and inspected his claws. ¡°It¡¯s just my natural charm. I¡¯m more important than any of you.¡±

    The other hawks all shot him glares and grumbled under their breaths, but didn¡¯t say anything outright.

    Kira and Laila shared a glance.

    ¡°Distraction?¡± Kira mouthed.

    Laila nodded, then grabbed a rock with her claw and threw it as hard as she could into a tree opposite them.

    ¡°What was that?¡± one of the hawks said sharply, looking around wildly. All of the birds tromped in the direction of the noise, and Kira and Laila shared another glance. In the distance, Kira could pick up the quite noises of Rogue and Maximon approaching. Kira nodded to Laila.

    ¡°ATTACK!¡± Laila shrieked as they both launched off of the branched and soared towards the hawks, talons and claws outstretched and at the ready.

    The hawks never saw it coming. Kira landed on one with her full weight, knocking it unconscious before she used its weight to propel herself onto another hawk, slicing his chest and kicking him into a tree. Rogue then pounced on him and smashed a rock on top of his head. The last hawk was being strangled by Maximon while Laila grabbed vines to tie each of them up.

    ¡°Their talons have to be bound really tight,¡± Maximon directed. ¡°Otherwise they¡¯ll cut through them.¡±

    Soon, four unresponsive hawks were lying concealed and bound on the jungle floor while Kira, Maximon, Rogue, and Laila removed their armor.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Liraz came flapping from behind, wheezing. ¡°You guys left me behind!¡±

    Kira and the others exchanged glances, having a mental conversation that went something like this:

    Rogue: What should we tell him?

    Laila: Give him the truth. He can be a baby about it for all I care.

    Kira: We can¡¯t be that mean!

    Laila: I can.

    Maximon: Or we could make up an elaborate half-truth that explains why we left him behind while not exactly telling him the whole thing.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    Rogue: What if we gave him a new type of fruit instead of talking?

    Laila: Yeah right. Like that will work.

    Kira: Guys, I got this.

    Kira took a deep breath, then walked up to Liraz. ¡°Liraz, I¡¯m so sorry that we left you behind on accident. We were really excited about this and didn¡¯t realize that you can¡¯t travel as fast as we can. But guess what?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Liraz asked excitedly, all grudges instantly forgiven.

    ¡°You get to ride in a piece of armor, right into the prison!¡± Kira said, grinning.

    ¡°Oh yeah!¡± Liraz cried triumphantly. ¡°So cool!¡±

    Rogue snorted and gave Kira an impressed look. ¡°I guess that¡¯s settled then¡­¡±

    ¡°We need to stop dilly-dallying,¡± Laila said. ¡°Let¡¯s get a move on. These hawks won¡¯t stay unconscious forever.¡±

    ¡°How are we going to fit on the armor?¡± Rogue said. ¡°Did we even think that far ahead?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Kira said. ¡°My fire can warm them up enough that they bend easier, which will allow us to form them around our bodies. It will look weird, but hopefully it will be enough to disguise us from prying eyes.¡±

    They got to work, gathering all of the armor off of the hawks and organizing the pieces in a row, setting aside pieces that would fit their bodies without any tampering. Then Kira gathered a ball of white fire in her paw and held it over each piece of armor individually, watching as they grew red hot and her friends carefully shaped them using branches and leaves to protect them, then dunked the armor in the river.

    ¡°Alright. We¡¯re good.¡± Maximon tapped the armor with his tail, listening as it made a satisfying clang. ¡°You can put out the fire now, Kira.¡±

    Kira concentrated and tried to shrink the flame with her mind, but after several moments, she realized it wasn¡¯t doing anything.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± she asked, panicking. ¡°Why can¡¯t I put it out?¡±

    ¡°Calm down,¡± Maximon said. ¡°Just concentrate.¡±

    ¡°Put your paw underwater,¡± Laila suggested.

    Kira ran to the edge of the river and practically dunked her entire body in, watching as the fire in her paw sizzled and disappeared. Her heartbeat pumped in her ringing ears, widened eyes fixated on her appendage.

    ¡°Hey.¡± Rogue put a paw on her shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s probably nothing. We have a prison to break into, remember?¡±

    Kira nodded numbly, then walked out of the river and back to the armor, determined to put the incident out of her mind.

    ¡°Everyone grab their assigned armor pieces,¡± she instructed. ¡°Liraz, you¡¯ll be with Rogue.¡±

    ¡°Ok!¡± The bat flapped over to where the leopard was putting on his disguise and slipped between one of the plates, perfectly hidden.

    ¡°It¡¯s roomy in here!¡± he squeaked. Rogue looked down at his breastplate with an amused expression on his face.

    ¡°We¡¯d better hurry,¡± Maximon said after they¡¯d all suited up. ¡°The other creatures in the prison may have noticed the hawks¡¯ absence.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s get going,¡± Kira said. ¡°We have a prison to break into.¡±

    <hr>

    It took them a long while to find the prison, longer than Kira would have liked. Luckily, Maximon had a general idea of where the hawks had emerged from the forest canopy, otherwise they would have been looking all day. As it was, the day was more than halfway over when they stumbled upon the entryway¡ªa metal door cleverly concealed behind a waterfall of vines that blended in perfectly with the rest of the jungle.

    ¡°Remember,¡± Kira said, ¡°we¡¯re a new patrol with orders from the Black Dragon to interrogate one of the prisoners.¡±

    ¡°And if they ask where the hawks went, we say that we saw them circling above us,¡± Maximon added. ¡°In case they get suspicious.¡±

    They all nodded to one another, then knocked on the door.

    It swung open with barely a sound to reveal a small Dragon behind it, with an anxious look on his face from under the armor.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked, his snout wrinkled in confusion.

    ¡°We¡¯re a new patrol,¡± Kira supplied, hoping that she looked casual when she said it. ¡°We have orders from the Black Dragon to interrogate one of the prisoners.¡±

    ¡°The Black Dragon?¡± the Dragon said, cocking his head. For a moment, Kira and her friends froze, wondering if this was what would give them away.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you mean the Leader?¡± he said.

    Kira let out a silent sigh. ¡°Yes, yes, my mistake. The Leader. So sorry.¡±

    The Dragon laughed good-naturedly and let them in. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. It happened sometimes.¡±

    Kira was surprised at how friendly he was. He was nothing like the stiff, icy-hearted guards in the arena. Now that she got a good look at him, she thought that he might be a Cloud Dragon, with his grey-white scales occasionally lined with bright purple and his wide wings tucked on his back. His eyes were a cheerful blue, glowing with a mixture of curiosity and fear. It made Kira¡¯s heart ache that Dragons like this¡ªwho were just following orders¡ªgot mixed up in the terrible things that were going on.

    ¡°So which prisoner do you need to interrogate?¡± the Dragon asked. ¡°We have quite a few, I¡¯m afraid.¡± A flash of guilt emerged in his expression, then disappeared as he regarded them.

    ¡°A high-security one,¡± Maximon answered. Kira was glad for his quick thinking. She¡¯d assumed that this was just for Deya, but apparently it wasn¡¯t.

    The guard¡¯s fidgeting grew more intense. ¡°A-a high security, you say?¡± he asked shakily. ¡°Are-are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Completely,¡± Maximon said.

    ¡°O-okay.¡± The Dragon grabbed a torch off of the wall and then began walking down the hallway. ¡°Follow me.¡±

    They did, their armor clanking in the silence. Their torch was the only source of light in the darkness, which made the air of the prison much more ominous than it already was.

    It didn¡¯t help that Rogue¡¯s eyes glowed in the dark.

    Kira had first seen the effect a night after they had toppled the arena, when they had been chatting with one another and watching the moon. She had asked him what his favorite color was, and he had turned to face her in order to answer. The ghostly light that had reflected from the sky onto his eyes with surprising brightness, casting a glowing beam wherever he turned his head. Kira found it unsettling and strange, and seeing it now in this place (though it didn¡¯t penetrate the air very far) made the feeling ten times worse.

    They continued for a long time, the hallway sloping down deeper into the earth. Kira wondered how deep it went, and how many prisoners were here. She felt the temptation to rescue each of them, but this wasn¡¯t the arena. They were only here for Deya, no matter how much it pained Kira to leave these poor creatures here.

    The torch occasionally lit up the outline of a door as they passed, though the spaces between doors grew as they continued on. They met no one along the way, which Kira found slightly odd, but it was a disguised prison, so maybe they didn¡¯t need that many guards.

    Finally, after a what seemed like moons of time, they arrived at a huge, heavy-looking metal door. The ceiling rose to fit it, turning the cramped dark space into a cold, breezy hallway.

    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± the Dragon said. ¡°Follow me, and don¡¯t touch or interact with anything. The prisoners here aren¡¯t all¡­right.¡±

    Everyone glanced at each other, faces riddled with worry. Kira tried to reassure them all, but fear gripped her gut as well. What if Deya wasn¡¯t right either? How would the prison affect her mind?

    But before she could travel down that train of thought, the Dragon was opening the door, and they were forced to follow behind.