Is this truly home? (Book 1)

Chapter 8

It had been a week since Titan's death and Aruska's head injury, but late at night, Sunny was working on healing Aruska's head, and Axel decided to sleep next to her for comfort. But his night was restless; for there was one dream that he kept having over and over again that made no sense.

*Axel's Dream*

He and Mara are running happily, in their human forms, through the woods when Axel saw Titan with his claws out. Axel looked for Mara beside him, but she was gone! He looked back over to Titan, and he had her in a chocker hold with his claws on her throat. Mara looked terrified.
"Aries!"
"Mara!"
Then, a female figure was emerging from the mist behind him laughing menacingly.
"Hahahahaha!"
It was Eris!
"No, Mara, I'm coming!"
But as Axel went to try and help his sister, a tight grip pulled him back with claws digging into his arm.
"Help... Me...!"
"Aries!"
Axel looked over and saw Titan had slashed her throat; and her body hit the ground with a lifeless thud.
"NOOOO!!! Eris."
He looks back at Eris, who is still laughing evilly; but as he takes a closer look at her, she turns into someone else.
"Raven?"
Then the scenery changed to him being on top of a high cliff, and below was a river of blood.
"Raven, stop, please."
But just like that, she pushed him off the cliff and into the river of blood.
"NOOOOOOAHHHH!!!"

*End of Dream*

"Aaah!!! Ugh..."
Axel looked over to Aruska, who was still in her coma state; but at least she was sleeping peacefully, unlike him. He slowly bent down and nudged her lovingly; but she gave no response. Not even a twitch of her ear; this made Axel very sad and frustrated because he couldn't do anything to make her recovery go faster.
"Healing takes time. You should know that better than anyone."
He looked up to see Sunny, who came by to check on how Aruska was doing.
"I know... I just... I hate seeing her like this. It's almost like she's... And it's my fault as always."
"What happened that day was not your doing, and neither is this."
"I don't know what to think anymore. Plus, if things couldn't get worse, Eris's daughter, my childhood best friend aside from Aruska, is here probably to kill me!"
"Calm yourself, Axel. Now, I want you to close your eyes and tell me what you hear."
So Axel did just that.
"Tell me what you hear."
"I... I think I hear the wind coming from outside?"
"Listen more closely. Concentrate."
So Axel tried again. Then, he heard it, a voice.
"I hear someone."
"... Aries... Aries..."
"It... I know that voice. But it's different. Who is it?"

*Flashback of Axel's childhood*

"Aries, Aries! Come to Mommy!"
"Momma!!!"

*End of Flashback*

"Mother. Mother? Where are you?"
A tall woman with brownish-red hair appeared in the crystal behind him.
"I am here, my child."
"Mother, you're here? Where's Mara? Usually, she talks with me if I'm in a troubling situation."
"Her spirit has moved on. Her death was avenged. Although it was not you, her mission was completed. She told you all she could in the little time she had left."
"I'll miss her."
"My sweet son, she is gone from this world, yes. But not from your heart."
"That's true. So? Why did you call me?"
"You want to defeat Eris?"
"Yes!"
"You want to help your lover?"
Axel turned to see Aruska.
"Absolutely."
"Sunny? May I have a moment alone?"
Sunny bowed her head and left the caves.
"Aries, in order for you to defeat Eris, you need to accomplish these tasks:

First, you must travel to where it all started.

Next, take a wolf with fur like the night and name of a bird.

Then, find the little ghost girl, for she will be your guide.

After that, go to the Apple blossm tree and collect a seed from the highest branch.

Finally, see the past through another's eyes using the purple mushroom with gold dust found in a place where an unknown enemy lurks in the shadows.

If you complete all these tasks, you will be able to defeat Eris and save your beloved."
"Speaking in riddles. I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Thank you, Mother. I won't let our family down."
Axel bent down to Aruska and whispered in her ear: "And I won't let you down either."
But as he turns to leave the caves, his mother had a couple more words of wisdom to share.
"Oh, and Aries? I hope you realize that not everyone starts off with evil in their hearts. It is their actions that leave them with broken consequences."
Axel nodded his head and left the caves. That's when he let all his emotions out onto Sunny; which she sort of suspected he would do.
"Why riddles?! Why can't my family ever give me a straight answer?! I only understood half of what she told me! What should I do?!"
"First, you should breathe. Second thing is I can't help you. This is your journey to fulfill. Just thinking of the riddle like a game. Match each phrase up with another and then you'll get your answer. Understand?"
"Yeah, I think so. She did say I'd be taking someone with me. A wolf with black fur?... Oh no! Desmond! He's gonna kill me! Literally! First it was Titan, and now me!"
"Axel?"
"I know, breathe."
"Are you sure there wasn't any other hints she gave about this wolf who you'd be traveling with? Usually, riddles have two parts to them."
"Mhnm... Oh! She said they had the name of a..."
Axel was in shock after coming to the realization of who his mother had picked for him to travel with.
"Axel? Who is it?"
"The only other girl besides Aruska that ever cared about me growing up. The girl who taught me to never show fear or to never show weakness in a fight. The girl who's mother wants me dead more than anything..."
"Well, well, well, I guess family is everything. Even if that certain someone is staring at you like you're each other's reflection. Who knows, this journey may just be what she needs to join her cousin in the fight for freedom against her mother's tyranny."
Axel thought about all Sunny had said. Was Raven really willing to go against everything she's ever been taught to side with wolves and customs she knows nothing about?