Nearly a moon had come to pass before those marked as Claws came to join with the Talons. Zacura, recently crowned in the light of the above, had now become the ring leader of every being within the gates. Of the two-legged variety, it was the young and curious Wailora to which caught her eye. The girl was respectful, and most of all, an outcast much like her. In their time there, they had learned much about those who secured them in refuge. One thing was sure, in the darkest of times old enemies could stand as one. Hexonia seemed kind enough. After all, she was now their primary source of food. Maerick had taken to her heavily, and Zacura found he was now spending increasing time with her. Deep down she felt an odd sense of jealousy, but even still, a female such as her held not the time for petty things. The pups within her clan had begun to grow into their age. Personality-wise, the Alpha female found her head spinning keeping up with the young ones. They had been granted the eastern courtyard. It stretched as long as the castle nearly, with shrubbery here and there. It was not at all what they were accustomed to, but it was far better than what they had been reduced to accept. Her training had not come to cease; in fact, the old wolf grew increasingly harder upon her. Every morning before the sun came to shine, they rose and not until the moon came to glow did they rest. It was exhaustion in its prime, the labor of a slave in her mind. Yet somewhere lying deep within her spirit, she knew all this was worth fighting for. The dawn had brought as always a sore body and drained mind. In a short time, she had come to awaken her ability to channel the element of soil. The first few attempts had ended in tragedy. And while guilt had no time to plant in her heart, she could feel the degrading stares upon her back. To some, she would always amount to nothing more than a demon soon to consume Crystal Springs.
She had grown in size slightly; her body now rivaling the Chargers of the King's men. Determination and purpose had overtaken her. No longer was she merely a hound, she was the seventeenth Keeper of the Elements. In exchange for training grounds and a place to call home, Zacura was assigned as the legion's guardian. Upon the day, Manuke had told her she would have to train twice as hard. She would one day soon come to command those much like her in strength. Beings who did not heed the commands of those they did not respect. Her tales had come to be forgotten as the stories of Aleanthos came into the picture. Soon the Talons would send her off into a land she knew nothing about. And when that time came, she had no other option than to be ready.
Hexonia had come to find her taking rest within the gardens. The pack was about on their own, leaving only Manuke beside her. The Queen was accompanied by a man nearly twice her height. His hair blowing in an odd hue of ginger mingled with oak wood tones. To Zacura, his scent seemed familiar, yet she did not know him. The Queen and the man came to stand before her and her trainer, their eyes filled with pride. "Good morning, Zacura. I see you take rest from your busy schedule. I noticed a few trees replanted from your early start," Talon spoke. Coming to stand, Zacura nodded. "The work of something I am not as of yet certain, I should wield." Her eyes shifted to look at the new male. "You were born to use it, Zacura. If such was not true, the raw powers you now possess would have consumed you entirely," the man spoke. The hound came to tilt her head. His voice was so familiar. "She will find that out on her own soon enough. For now, I simply need her focused on the tasks at hand. She needs only to worry about the abilities she will need to rise victorious in the coming battle. You know that as well as I, Maerick." The chosen came to slice her gaze at the tall copper male shocked. That is what Maerick had been reduced to? He began to give her a charming smile before stepping forward and running his fingers through her fur. She found it soothing but degrading, all rolled into one ball of frustration. The rumble of her growl came to alert the others just before a small sinkhole came to form. Maerick dropped downwards laughing.
"Oh my, Manuke. You have taught her to trip others that surely will come in handy." "I have taught her far more than that. That is no skill, you create voids in the ground with every step you take." The old wolf's voice had a teasing tone to it. "All right, that is enough you three. We come to speak of our advancement. My husband wishes you to take your leave for Morgaideign and quite soon. Unfortunately, the meeting with my brother did not go as planned, and we have reason to believe he may try to claim vengeance." Ahh, yes...Lord Draconvieh," Manuke began. "Yes, he bears the might of evil doing witches by his side. I fear soon his wrath may meet my gates. But those issues shall be dealt with when they arrive. For now Zacura, I have two of your kind who wish to meet you. They have been assigned as your guards. They know much of the land you are to travel and can be a most valuable and trusted ally. Meet the Twins of Deception."
"Where are they?" Zacura asked looking around. "All around you. They arrived two weeks ago. You were busy dealing with your own duties, and therefore, I waited until today." A small gust of wind came to brush the Bloodclaw on either side of her body. For several long moments, she had yet to see a thing until four eyes began to open simultaneously. Eyes of blinding ice white, which came to gleam like a beacon. The wind came to form in hues of gray, creating two bodies much like hers. It was then that she had to realize these were no ordinary hounds. These two males were the exact opposite, they were spirits of what once was. They came to fully form standing shoulder to shoulder as if joined. Their paws began to rot the soil surrounding them, their bodies not made for the world above the darkness. "Greetings, highborn goddess," they spoke in unison.
"It is our pleasure to lay our ancient eyes upon not one but two of those selected by our makers." Their voices were smooth and seductive. The speech of beings your heart would pull away from, yet your body would long to know. "The pleasure is mine. What are your names?" Zacura asked. She had heard of their kind before long ago. Heard horror stories of what they were capable of, and suddenly she no longer felt secure in her own skin.The larger of the two came to step forth. "I am Raxseis , eldest and first born son of the late Ephesius Paraxious." He took a step backward as his twin came to step forth. "I am Exsidious, the second son of Ephesius Paraxious." Both came to bow their heads once more. "It is a pleasure indeed then. I have heard many stories of his victories in the first wars between our people. But I find it nearly unthinkable that you both stand here before me now. How is it that your father lived over three thousand years ago, and his offspring stand speaking to me?" The brothers looked to one another before answering. "That is a tale for another day, Alpha."
"Should it matter, Zacura? They are here to help. They are much older than you. Therefore they are far wiser than you and Manuke combined," Maerick interjected. The white wolf came to step before the crowd. "It is not age nor its value that gives one their strength. Wisdom is earned by trial and error, by living through your mistakes and learning from them. While age does play a part, it is truly experience, in things that give you wisdom." Zacura came to tilt her head at her mentor's words. It had not been the first time she had heard something of that nature. Before long she found herself in the warming company of the twins. Their bodies were a thing of wonder. To her, it seemed they used dust to form. But she stood unknowingly for sure and thus, did not make such assumptions public. The three, both Zacura and the twins, came to find themselves in deep conversation. It was clear that as interesting as she found them they felt quite the same. Tales of battles past and words of encouragement were exchanged. They left Zacura with a sense of purpose and pride in the days ahead.
"Do you honestly believe we will be able to obtain what the Queen asks of us? I have never ventured into a land such as the one which lies ahead. It is something that while I do not fear, I am uncertain if I can conquer." "Zacura of chosen blood, fear not the future but the past that brought it to be. Your father was the first ever to come and stand before that wretched gate. It was not his fault he could not climb over it. It was simply not he who was created to scale it. Honestly speaking my divine, that wall was built to fall at your might. My brother and I will aid you in your task. We may not be much anymore, but we are your walking, living guide. A glimpse into the past, your token to board a ship sailing upon waters of knowledge forgotten by most," Exsidious spoke.
"My brother speaks the truth. For many seasons we were lost until we came to learn that our ally had borne a daughter. And while the world we knew and had grown accustomed to fell, we survived. Just as you had, when Baruqkana fell, you emerged from its ashes stronger than before. You may not have known it then, but that day marked the beginning of your struggles. But as all things worth fighting for, know that your sacrifices shall not be in vain,"Raxseis interjected.
The three looked to the hills before them the sun shining brightly over their tops. Zacura took a seat digesting their words. The eldest had spoken of her father. For several moments she struggled to understand if she should question him. Put this knowledge to the test and possibly gain answers her heart longed for.
But before she had the chance Raxseis answered it for her, "You long to know he who claims half your blood. Know that at this point in time you could not handle knowing. Set your heart at ease with the fact that he was a pure being, one that was born of loyalty and unexplainable courage, unbound by the poison of life. Because of him, we all draw breath. And because of his daughter, we shall again rise to power and live in peace."
"And if my heart does not think such things are enough to see it rested?" Bloodclaw asked looking to the hound with fire in her eyes. "Then you prove to it that while it's beating keeps you alive, you are the dominant of the two. It seeks answers it is far too weak to know. It longs for them because it is something unknown to not only you but it as well." "So I am to remain in darkness? All I know is that my parents are dead, and I will never meet them. Is it such a sin to only want to know where I came from? Is it such a crime to understand why such a feat has been placed upon my battered shoulders? Every day, I wander blindly lead by those I know nothing about. Each and every one of them denies me the truth. Why? What could be so terrible that I am forced into ignorance of my own heritage?" There was sorrow in her voice, confusion. For years she had dreamt of nothing more but knowing who she was. And even now standing as defender of the planet she was born to, she stood helpless.
"Your father is very much alive. Whenever the wind blows through your fur, whenever you feel the lands quake, and their volcanoes roar and spew magma, know it is him. When you step foot into the waters, and they quench your thirst, know it is your father who provides such a blessing. Your sire lives within every single piece of nature upon our planet. His protection over you has never left your side," Raxseis sang, his ghostly body now coming to slither under her chin.
"Take a moment and actually feel the world around you, divine Alpha. Feel how it is drawn to you, how it begs to stand at your side."
Exsidious began planting his feet firmly in the ground. Doing as told, Zacura closed her eyes as a wind came to pass them. For the first time in her life, she opened her mind to more than just the wind and its howl. She had come to realize who its cry belonged to. So blinded behind the folds of her eyelids, she could see the land vividly. Never once had she come to see in such a way, until now. The trees did not stand still; instead, they danced with the wind. It was no longer a thing of force but one of willing nature. To her left, she could hear a break in the air currents. The air moved around the large figure, which had come to stand so boldly near her. Her elemental vision could make out an outline of a canine figure, large and grand in stature. It bore ears of tall and pointed frame with paws that nearly rivaled that of Canavis. Her heart sang and burned with a need to rush towards it. It came to bow its head to her, and though it bore no voice, she could feel pride radiating from it. Without warning, it vanished from sight, and her eyes came to open. Zacura found herself lost another piece of her puzzle, but would she ever complete it. She had been so blind for so long. All this time her father had been right beside her.
"You saw him, didn't you, divine one?" Exsidious asked softly. "Yes...fate I assume?" "No Keeper, we have the ability to see things the living does not. It takes one soul to know and gaze upon another. The living mind does not hold such abilities, for it blocks what it does not understand. What is not common to it is disregarded. Know that whenever you feel weak, you can always run to him. He will not leave you because an actual father never would leave behind his daughter. Let his hidden presence bring you comfort in your times of need. If there ever comes, a day you feel you can fight no longer, let his heart beat remind you that even in the death of his fleshly body, he still watches over you. One day you will feel him, and you will be overjoyed. But be confident, with that day shall come the revelation, and the expansion of time. Only then, our divine one, will you come to know your father honestly and sincerely."
The twins faded from view leaving but their faint scent of ash behind. The chosen let them leave without uttering a single word. For the first time, she had seen what she knew to be her father. At that moment so brief she found the heart and the drive to continue.
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