Mutatio

Chapter 11 FlamePaw

MistTail let out a sigh as we tied another race after she quizzed me on the different ways to find North and proper etiquette when talking to other packs.

"There's not much more I can teach you, FlamePaw. You're a pretty fast learner." She admitted. I thought about it for a minute.

"Well, there's still one thing I don't understand." I told her. She raised an eyebrow.

"Alright, what's that?" She questioned.

"If the Mutatio Code states that we can't interact with other Mutatio unless under the New Moon, then...aren't we breaking the Code?" I wondered. MistTail shook her head.

"That confused me at first as well. There's more to the Code than just three rules. It's much more complex than that. There're rules about border confrontation, there're rules about how many pups can be in a nursery, there're rules about changing Socius's, there're rules for everything a Mutatio does! Heck, there's even a rule about the rules! And not only that, but over the years, the different kinds of Mutatio have adapted their own rules to the codes, the wolves included." She exclaimed with a laugh. I suddenly felt a bit nauseas. How much of the Code had I broken, simply because I didn't know they existed?

"Well, that's not fair! How are we supposed to follow the Code if we only know half of it!?" I exclaimed, worried. MistTail chuckled and nudged me with her nose.

"You haven't broken the Code, FlamePaw, it's alright. Most of it's common sense anyway." She informed me. I still felt claustraphobic.

"I liked it better when there were only three rules." I muttered. MistTail smirked.

"Yeah. Me too. All you need to know is that the rules about consulting with other Mutatio doesn't apply to us." She assured me. I rolled my shoulders, uncomfortable.

"Oh, and there's one more thing." I said. MistTail nodded for me to continue. I raised a paw in the air and it turned into flame. I turned it back before setting it down on the ground again. "That." MistTail looked surprised.

"You've learned to control it!" She congratulated. I made a face.

"Only slightly. I've been practicing. I can turn it on and off at will, so long as I'm in control. If I loose it again like I did when that bear attacked you..." I trailed off, looking at my paws.

"FlamePaw?" MistTail asked gently. I looked up at her.

"What if I loose control when we're talking to other Mutatio? What if they attack our pack? What if...what if I start a war?" I whispered. Starting a war had been a fear of mine since I became a Delta apprentice. I wasn't a peace-keeper, I was a fighter! Even after moons of training, I still didn't feel ready. MistTail rubbed her head against me.

"You may not want to be a Delta, you may believe it is the worst thing you could possibly do, but think about it, FlamePaw. Open fields, endless journey, adventure! Just you and the wind and nothing to hold you back! Out there, on your own, there is no code. You're free." She told me quietly, as if she didn't want anyone else to hear. The thought of such freedom, especially in light of the recent discovery of how many rules there were, made my heart soar. I smiled, until I remembered what a Delta's job was. Their freedom didn't last very long before they had to get back to business. They experienced freedom, then were dragged back in with the rules and the etiquette. Dragged in with the rest of the Mutatio and their stupid Code. My lip curled up. MistTail furrowed her brow.

"FlamePaw? Are you okay?" She asked. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I lied. What was wrong with me? Why was I thinking like this? Had these been the thoughts going through my mother's head before she ran away? As we walked back to camp, a thought occurred to me. Was I born out in the wild? My first night as an apprentice felt like a century ago, but I remembered the night clearly. ShadowChirp had said that NightSky had been searching for her sister for a year. At the time, I had been eight moons old. That meant that FrostDapple had been missing for four moons before she dumped me on the camp's doorstep and ran off again. We entered the camp and MistTail went to go talk to QuickStep. I sat down near the entrance and watched the camp I loved. Why had I ever thought of abandoning this place? Then another thought occurred to me. Who all saw FrostDapple when she left me here?

"Only Mom and Dad." Said a voice. I turned around and saw Kiseki a few feet away, walking forwards with no hesitation in her step, as if she could see where she was going. I smiled at her until I realized what she had said. She had answered my question.

"Kiseki, how did you know what I was thinking? And how do you know that?" I questioned as she got closer. She sat down, wrapping her golden-tipped tail around her small paws.

"Because I'm like you, FlamePaw." She replied. I furrowed my brow.

"What do you mean you're like me?" Kiseki laughed slightly.

"Don't be silly, FlamePaw, you already know! It was your favorite story as a pup!" She exclaimed. I thought back to my time in the nursery, listing to HollyScratch and Gamma tell stories, and how the only one I ever wanted to hear...

"Wait...you mean...?" Kiseki nodded, grinning. She jumped to her feet and danced around me, stumbling around, as she was too excited to sense her surroundings.

"We've got spirits inside us!" She chanted as she danced. I quickly hushed her, putting my tail in her mouth. She spat it out, making a face.

"Ew! You taste bad!" She informed me. I rolled my eyes. Kiseki had a way of going from acting like a puppy to acting smarter than some of the oldest wolves here.

"Kiseki, please. If what you say is true, and I am a....a Fire Legendary, then...what are you?" She sat down and looked at me, her blind, iridescent eyes shining. When she spoke, it was in a voice that wasn't hers. The voice was raspy and old as it layered over top of Kiseki's soft and silky voice.

"I am the Past, the Present, and the Future. I've come to this Earth to aid you, young Legendary. I took this young pup as my host to give her a second chance at life. The fact that she can host me at such a young age is reason enough for her to be named Miracle. I, FlamePaw, am the Oracle."