Luminous Elements | Book 1: Fire

Chapter 10 - Black Claws

Two Dark Wolves ran towards their leader. One of them had been bitten in the shoulder, meanwhile, the other one looked like it had almost been wounded; tufts of fur were missing from the Dark Wolf's right ear.

        "Master!" the injured Dark Wolf said. "We've come back."

        The leader of the Dark Wolves nodded. "Report to me", he demanded.

        The Dark Wolf that had spoken glanced at the other Dark Wolf and nodded.

        "The cat didn't do anything abnormal," it reported, "He acted like a normal cat."

        The Dark Wolf leader nodded slowly and showed no sign that he was angry, even though he had seen the Dark Wolf's injury.

        "And you?" the Dark Wolf pointed to the Dark Wolf that hadn't spoken with his nose.

        "Well," the Dark Wolf that hadn't spoken yet began, "I told the wolf what you asked me to tell him, but I'm not quite sure if he believes me. He just ran into the forest, and I left him, as you asked me to do, although he hasn't shown any sign that he will do as I said."

        The Dark Wolf leader nodded.

        "You!" it said to the Dark Wolf without injuries. "Bring me three of the Mediumlings."

        "As for you," he added to the Dark Wolf with injuries as the other Dark Wolf raced away, "I'm sending you on another mission because you decided to let yourself be injured."

        The Dark Wolf didn't meet the leader's eyes. The leader continued. "You are to go to the cat that is colder than the night sky in the winter. Now, what you will do . . ."

        Three Dark Wolves returned just as the injured Dark Wolf left.

        "Good", the leader said, when they sat down in front of him, waiting patiently for orders. "Now, what you will do is this: You---" the leader pointed to the Dark Wolf in the middle "---are going to attack the cat. As for you,---" the leader pointed to the two other Dark Wolves "---you two are going to attack the wolf, and do you-know-what."

        All three Dark Wolves nodded eagerly ran towards their destination---Blaze and Regnard. Two Dark Wolves came to the leader just as they were leaving.

        "Ah, good! You finally arrived," the leader said to the two Dark Wolves that arrived. "Okay, so you know that cat that keeps on acting very annoying, attacking our Dark Wolves? Well, here's what I want you to do about that pesky cat . . ."

        "Haha! Bet you won't be able to catch it this time!" Blaze purred, throwing the moss ball over Regnard's head.

        Blaze and Regnard were playing a new game in the forest that they made up: Vollymossyball. How it worked was that Blaze and Regnard batted a moss ball that Blaze had made towards each other, and had to try to make sure that the other didn't catch the moss ball. Once you didn't catch it and it touched the ground, you lost. It had to be a reasonable hit---Regnard had said this meaning specifically that Blaze couldn't use his fire power---or else you automatically lost.

        However, Regnard had spiced things up a bit. "Whoever losses has to do something that the other wolf or cat says", Regnard had said, right before starting the game by batting the moss ball to Blaze.

        Blaze was okay with this. I just know that I'll win! he'd thought, as he batted the moss ball for the first time.

        Now, Blaze was giving a yowl of triumph. Just when Blaze was about to tell Regnard that he'd have to take a bite out of the moss ball and swallow it---he'd planned it all along if he won---the moss ball flew past Blaze and landed on the ground.