Polarity

Chapter 17: Through The Darkness

Atlas kept his nose to the wet earth as he attempted to pick up any scent which would lead him to this 'Quincy' that the other wolves spoke of. Traveling in his wake, Soleil shook his head remorsefully. "We'll never find him." The brute groaned, having discovered a pawprint, only to realize that it belonged to Atlas. "The rain is too heavy, and it's getting dark. He could be up in the mountain range for all we know." Atlas ignored the negativity which flooded the atmosphere and kept his focus upon his newfound mission. Finding Quincy.

A new scent drifted into his nostrils and caused his heart to flutter in excitement. He had found the trail! Atlas let out a low huff to Soleil, quickening his pace. "Hey, I found a scent! Come on!" The two brutes sprinted in the direction of the scent, excitement rushing through their blood as they finally caught sight of a wolf in the distance, surrounded by some of the tall grasses. "There he is!" Soleil cried, running ahead of Atlas, his eyes squinting to protect themselves from the downpour. As Atlas arrived behind Soleil, his orbs widened in horror at the sight which they feasted upon. Here lay a wolf, limbs detached from its body in a brutal manner, fresh injuries plastered onto its deceased vessel. "No..." Atlas whispered, gazing down upon the victim, tears welling his eyes. "We were too la-"

"This isn't Quincy." Soleil interrupted once he had examined the wolf's body. "It's a Bear Creek pack member. These wounds were wolf-inflicted. But I do think I heard some noises on our way to this body... Elk calls, perhaps. We should go look. The others would be overjoyed if we were able to find the herd." Atlas turned to his companion, shock arising from his vocal cords. "But, Sol, we have to find Quincy..." Atlas cried, wheeling about as Soleil began to trek deeper into the forest. The brute scoffed and tossed his head dismissively. "If you knew that creature, you would understand that finding him is not important in this situation. Preventing starvation is. Come on, Atlas."

"We have a job, Soleil, and it's to find him."

"You want to know about Quincy, Atlas? I'll tell you everything I know. He's tiny, smaller than Ciel, even. He's all skin and bones, he's sickly and weak. He is afraid of everything that moves. It's no wonder why Riku exiled him. I would be ashamed if he were my brother." Atlas held his breath as he imagined Torr speaking in this manner about him. He would have been shattered if those very words left his brother's mouth. He shook his cranium with a grunt, baring his teeth at the brute.

"We're going to find him."

"And what? Bring him back to the peninsula, and have him eat from our kill only to be deceased when the sun rises?" Lightning split through the sky with a loud crack and struck a tree, lighting it aflame. Thunder roared through the air, and the earth trembled beneath their paws. The cries of petrified elk arose in the near distance. Soleil spared Atlas a glance before he took off in the direction of the herd. Atlas trailed behind him in silence, his gaze flickering about his surroundings as they traveled. "Quincy?" Atlas cried out, desperately hoping for a response. "Shut up, Atlas, he's not going to respond to you. Don't even bother." Soleil snapped from a few paces ahead, a growl arising in his throat. "You're gonna scare the elk away. Then we'll be hungry, and 'Quincy-less'. Would that make you happy?" Atlas' ears pressed tightly against his cranium as he proceeded through the dimly lit forest, processing every minor detail his audits delivered to him. His own breathing seemed to disrupt the treacherous silence. The young brute attempted to hold his breath, hoping that he would be able to pick up on some trace of this wolf. Over and over, the harsh phrase echoed in his mind; You know what happened to the other one. Giving his cranium a toss to clear his mind, Atlas dismissed these mysterious words which had caused the remainder of the wolves to tremble in what appeared to be panic. He had a mission. He had to find Quincy...

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"W-Wait, no! Come back!" A voice cried through the shadows as the elk scattered away from him. The lithe brute dodged the towering fir trees as he pursued these creatures, growing distraught as they evaded his attempts of acquiring friendship. "Please, come back..." Quincy groaned as he slumped to the damp terrain and let out a mournful cry, heaving a trembling breath outwards. He would never find companionship. His visage turned to a singular flower which arose from the ground. He pawed at it in silence, tears welling up in her eyes. Everyone always left. Why did they leave? Maybe Riku was right...