Howl of an Owl

Chapter 14: Freedom

"You saved us!"

"We're free!" 

"Finally!"

A chorus of howls arose from the center of the good wolves. They had been freed from the chain, only one wolf being burned. But Shadow had been burned much worse than the wolf.

Pain sliced at his wings as he tried to fly. The flames had taken his power of flight from him, and now he would be able to make sure the wolves got to safety. 

"Shadow..." Idana whispered, fear and pity flashing in her eyes.

Loki and Yaya stood a little farther off, tears welling in their big eyes.

Suddenly, the bad wolves were back. "We've found them!!!" Howls of triumph came from the entrance to their camp.

"You're not going down without a fight." A good wolf growled, and suddenly, the two groups charged at each other.

"WAIT!" an ancient voice called from the heavens. All of the wolves stopped and looked up.

A bunch of wolves stood in the air, along with owls as well. Their wings and paws were made of stars, their eyes made of stars, they were spirits of the stars. Their great ancestors had come.

"We are from the heavens above, and we have come to end this war." A sooty owl waved his wing across the sky, and suddenly, an image showed. Blood splattered against the ground, wolves, and owls dying.  

"We can stop this before it happens. These owls have come from a far to save these wolves, and they have freed them from that awful chain. Now that the Chain of Death in gone, us spirits can speak to you again. The Chain has kept us back so long, we could only speak in prophecies. We gave those owls their dreams, and we gave you hope. The owls came and managed to burn the chain, but one of the owls lost his wings." A starry wolf gazed down upon Shadow.

"We will give you more land to live on, so there can be a place for both of you upon this country, but to reward this owl for his courage, we will grant him a second life." An owl hooted among the stars.

Murmurs erupted from the crowd. 

"There will never be room for the both of us!" the leader of the evil wolves growled. He wore a crown of bones.

"Who else thinks this is so?" An ancient wolf growled, narrowing his eyes.

A few of the bad wolves followed their leader, but most of the evil wolves joined the good group. The evil bone leader glared at his pack that had left him.

"Very well. If you do not want our help, then we shall banish you from this place of much prey and shelter." An owl hooted, and suddenly, the bad wolves that had joined their leader were raised up into the sky. A star wolf howled, and suddenly, they were gone.

"I have sent them to the Forest of No Return. They won't bother you anymore. Now, for you, Shadow." An owl looked down on Shadow, and suddenly, Shadow felt himself beginning to change.

Shadow felt his feathers beginning to shrink, and his beak beginning to fade. He felt his talons disappear, and suddenly, he had fur. He had claws and paws, and his wings were gone along with his burning pain. 

The star owls and wolves had turned him into, a wolf.