Elements

Ch. 3 Leaving

 “Where’s Jacob?” 

The words echoed through the mother’s mind, even in a dream.

Fortune pushed herself a little harder even though her muscles groaned from the sharp pain that shot through her limbs. She wanted to scream. To cry. To yell and fight and make it stop hurting, because this was the exact thing that happened when she was younger. Felix.

A small grey wolf stood at the edge of the dark clearing. Sunlight filtered through here and the soft looking fur was all too familiar.

“Jacob?” Fortune was tentative, slowly creeping forwards. 

Of course he just ran away, of course he would.

 Her brain wouldn't let her think sensibly. He would never run away. 

“Come here honey.” As she inched forwards though, the ground disappeared beneath her and she was falling and flailing and the world was spinning until she landed with a whumph. 

The pup was standing right there and Fortune reached forward. He turned around, eyes tearing up and he smelled clean and sterile. Hands gripped his scruff tightly and he whimpered, then faded into shadows.

“We’ve got him,” voices hissed from above like snakes. “He's all oursss… oursssss.”

“Where is he?” Fortune cried, “WHERE IS MY SON?” But the voices didn't help. In fact, they laughed. The sound pierced Fortune as if she was being stabbed. 

“Ourssss…” 

Fortune woke up with a gasp, breathing heavily. Something warm and fuzzy was touching her, and she thought maybe Jacob disappearing was a dream, but when she looked down, Crystal and Glacier were pressed against each other and her.

I should go find him. 

Fortune got up from her nest, stretching with a frown on her face. 

Please let this be a prank.

She trotted out their cave into the midnight moonlight. Everyone in the village had their dim lights turned off and were sleeping. Fortune walked towards the bushes that Jacob had supposedly disappeared in.

A stand of fur was left on the ground. 

“Jacob…” She cried. 

Woomph. 

A red feather shot through the air. 

“What the-” 

This is the red feather my daughters were talking about.

The smell of the feather made her woozy, like she hadn’t slept in a week. 

How is the feather staying on my fur?

“Told’ja there would be lots of em’.” A voice came from behind.

“Rgh..” Fortune groaned. She was getting dizzier and dizzier.

And then? Nothing.

____________________________________________________________________________

“Alert! There are Furless in the village!” A loud voice filled the small village of Wolfville in the early morning light. “I REPEAT! Furless in the village!”

The ground seemed to tremble as wolves rose from their slumber, the scent of fear filling the air.

“Fortune?” Mrs. Claws scrambled around her daughter’s house, paws snagging on twigs in her panic. “Fortune!” 

“Claws!” Howl yelled. “There’s no time!” Mrs. Claws whirled around in surprise. Her husband had been gone for weeks after he was selected as new king of the Elemental Side, but there he was, in the fur.

“Fortune is missing!” Mrs. Claws cried. “Our daughter isn’t here! Fortune, where are you!?” 

“Claws, Claws, I’m sure she has already evacuated.” Howl reassured her, but he wasn’t very reassured himself. A headache pounded in his brain and his entire body was tense, muscles taut and eyes darting about. He looked more nervous than Mrs. Claws had seen him since Felix had…

Claws sighed and took a deep breath. “Right.” She sighed again. “Let’s go.”

The two ran out the door, towards the outskirts of the village, where everyone was running to.

“Fortune?” Mrs. Claws called. “Fortune?”

Everyone was panicking and moving around in a blur. Dust and sand were kicked up everywhere and Mrs. Claws’ glasses became fuzzy. 

“Do you see her, Howl?” Mrs. Claws yelped.

“Everyone’s moving around.” Howl winced, frowning.

 He took a deep breath and barked. “Stop panicking!” 

The hissing and pushing stopped. 

“Have any of you seen my daughter?” Howl growled. Everyone started mumbling in confusion and panic.

“No!” A dark brown wolf hissed. “We don’t care about your stupid daughter, we need to evacuate!”

The noise and chaos started stirring again.

“SILENCE!” 

Everyone paused once again. 

“Find my daughter or you’re banned from my side.” Howl growled.

Everyone started frowning and muttering. “FIND HER!” Howl roared.

Paws shuffled against the dirt and dust.

Meanwhile…

“GLACIER, WHERE’S MOM?” Crystal yelled at her sister. Everyone around them were scrambling for an escape route.

“I don't know!” Glacier exclaimed,

“We have to find Grandma and Grandpa!” Crystal hissed, kicking through the dirt. 

Step. Step. 

Fwoosh.

The two sisters stopped, slowly looking back.

There was a furless, standing right in front of them. Its paws reached towards the sisters.

“AHH!” Crystal yelped, running away. Glacier screamed from behind, following her sister.

They ran through the cracks of a forest, leaping on logs and dodging last trees.

As soon as the furless seemed to stop following them, the sisters stopped.

“Do… you think… we lost it?” Glacier panted.

“I think so…” Crystal wiped sweat beads off of her face. “If we didn't, we can always blast it off with our powers, right?” 

“Can we go back?” Glacier asked, circling around, looking anxious.

“Are you crazy? The furless will catch us again!”

“Then we'll have to find a place to live…” Glacier sighed.

“FOR NOW!” Crystal exclaimed. “It's not like we're gonna live by ourselves! I don't think I could survive you.” Glacier rolled her eyes.

______________________________________________________________________________

A pair of wolves crept onto a mountain side, limbs tensed, muscles coiled. Alert mode.

The larger of the two, a dark gray wolf looked down from the cliffside to the valley down below, and the other, a slightly smaller, lankier, and darker colored one adjusted its pace beside him and peered down as well.

“Sir, they have just arrived with the new pups." The slightly smaller wolf chanced another glance over the edge into the darkness, eyes adjusting to the lighting, so close he was on the verge of toppling off before stepping back.

“Yes, I know. I have eyes.” The larger one was older, a dark grey-brown mix, and he paced now, seemingly agitated.

“There might not be enough time now.” The black wolf hesitated. “What will we-”

“I promised our pack land,” The King suddenly exclaimed. “How? How do I get us land? HOW!?”

“Sir-”

“...I...I’m sorry. I shouldn't have lost control. I’m very stressed these days, that's all.” King Awoo shook his head violently. “I’m sure we’ll figure something out, since I have your big brain.” He chuckled at the end, but it was a wary chuckle, the sound like claws grating against rock.

“I’ll come up with something extraordinary sir.” The black wolf sighed, beginning to pace alongside his boss. An idea popped into his head and he almost grinned, save for the serious situation.

“Thank you, Nightmare.” Another dry chuckle dropped from the king's mouth. “Who knows? Maybe one day you’ll be king.”

Nightmare stared at the king in shock. “King, Sir?”

“Yes,” King Awoo's smile crawled onto his face before he could stop it. “A commanding soldier like you would be perfect for the throne.”

“I am honored.” Nightmare bowed his head, his mind running a mile a minute. “King...”

Ch. 2 The Golden Flower 

“Welcome to class everyone!” Mrs. Claws barked in excitement. 

“Where…is everyone?” Crystal asked.

“You guys are the first here!” Mrs. Claws’s nose twitched as she grinned.

“Yay.” The pups mumble-barked, sagging onto the ground and yawning. 

The teacher then quickly realized they were bored. 

“Hey, guys. I’m Mrs. Claws!!! Today we are going to learn about powers! And you get to choose them!” Mrs. Claws yipped.

 “Yay!” Jacob perked up and barked.

  “Crystal, you’re first.” Mrs. Claws said. “Okay!” Crystal exclaimed happily, trotting towards Mrs. Claws.

“Aww,” Jacob sighed, he had hoped he was first. Maybe he’d be second. And he perked up a bit at the thought.

Once the two went inside a gate, Mrs. Claws opened a box with shiny pretty river stones in the box, shining in the sky light. Each had a shiny, engraved and colored symbol.

“Of course! That’s what you're supposed to do!” Mrs. Claws exclaimed, almost vibrating with excitement.

Crystal pawed a shiny silver stone, with an ice symbol.

“Can I have this power?” Crystal asked. “What does it do?”

“Of course, honey!” Mrs. Claws exclaimed. “It’s the ice power, you can freeze your enemies. There are many different kinds of powers, and they are all good at different things; Defense, Offense, Healing, and Distraction. Some can do multiple. The Ice Power is Defense, but can also be used as offense during emergencies, though not very effectively. Now hold still, while I say the magic sentence.” 

“Mighty Stone of Power, add this stone to Crystal’s soul!”

“W-wait the stone just comes to my soul?-" Crystal's voice was cut off by a surprising aura surrounding her. White dust grew around Crystal’s surroundings. “W-what’s happening?!” Crystal asked, panicking.

“Nothing dear, just the magic, well, working its magic. No need to worry. Wait until it disappears, then call Glacier.” Mrs. Claws told Crystal, resting a paw on her shoulder in reassurance.

The mist disappeared and Crystal felt a new found strength.

“Wow! It didn't even hurt and…” Crystal paused. “I feel… powerful! I've never felt powerful before! Thanks!”

“Now, Crystal, we will learn your powers in the next class. Even if you feel powerful, it doesn't mean you are. You need a lot of training classes to get as strong as the full grown wolves around you! Call your sister.” Mrs. Claws ushered her out with sparkling eyes. She loved seeing passion in her students.

Crystal trotted out of the cave, and ran to where her siblings were. 

“Hey, Glacier! You're next!” Crystal barked.

“Yes!” Glacier replied, excited. “Awesome!”

“Aw man! I’ll just explore the bushes for some berries and flowers. I am a bit hungry.” Jacob muttered, clearly upset.

“Jacob, I’ll come with you!” Crystal trotted towards him and they made their way into the meadow.

 The bushes were overflowing with berries and flowers, all of different colors and sizes. He breathed it all in before sprinting over to a nearby bush.

 “Wow, there are lots of berries to eat and lots of flowers to smell!” He exclaimed.

 Sniff Sniff. Nibble Nibble. 

“Woah, these are delicious!” Jacob said to Crystal.

“I’m gonna try one too!” Crystal said and nibbled some more.

“This flower is filled with interesting smells!”

He made his way over, farther and farther into the meadow. A large yellow flower sat in the middle. It was the prettiest flower he had ever seen and looked to be filled with a tantalizing smell. He leaned down beside it.

“Woah, this smells amazing!” Jacob leaped forwards towards Crystal. “Smell this one, it’s-OW.” 

“Jacob, are you okay?” Crystal ambled over as he pawed at his neck.

“I think a bee stung me. Nothing bad.” And then he kneeled over, eyelids shutting.

“Jacob? JACOB?” something fuzzy poked out of his neck, a red feather. “Do bee stings look like that?” a sharp smell drifted from the thing. A rustle to her left. She moved away. 

“HELP US!” she howled and sprinted away. When she came back with Mrs. Claws and Glacier, the body was gone. 

“What could’ve possibly happened to him? Crystal said he was just here.” Mrs. Claws worried, as the town’s security came over to check the case, as well as other relatives.

“Hey kid, what did the so-called ‘bee sting’ look like? Was there swelling?” A cop wandered over to Crystal.

“It was a red feather that had a sharp smell floating from it…” Crystal whimpered. “It made me dosey when I sniffed it…” 

“Hm. Dosey huh? Couldn't be a Boom Stick considering it was a ‘red feather’.” The cop replied, deep in thought.

“Well, Mrs. Fortune, we will make sure your pup gets back in your paws.” An entirely different cop announced. “We have many other cases to get to, but it looks like a case for a missing pup will be on top of the list.” 

Fortune nodded, so in shock that she couldn’t find the words to speak. As all of them walked away, the mother softly replied, “I doubt they’ll do anything.” 

“Oh, pshaw.” Mrs. Claws scoffed. “Don’t worry, he’ll come back anytime soon. Prank, I suppose.” 

“Jacob is definitely not the type to make a prank this alarming.” Glacier replied. Fortune sniffed, tears slowly streaming down from her face. “Or a prank a-at all.”

“Little flower…” Mrs. Claws whispered, brushing Fortune’s pelt. “Don’t cry.”

Ch. 1 The Legends are born

On a dark and moony night, three wolves were born. Jacob, Crystal, and Glacier were unusual looking wolves, with stiff but soft fur.“The Legend says that the wolves born on this exact night will have the soul of The Elements. The Elemental Wolves have a different kind of power; their powers are stronger than any of our last ancestors. They tend to learn quicker, keeping up with their strength as well.” Howl, The Leader of The Elemental side said, putting on his casual and unsettling face.

“We still have to test them to see if they have the Elements in them, which means that their powers are not guaranteed.”

“My children may not have powers?” Fortune almost cried.

He nudged one of the pups, the one that would be called Jacob, and the pup whined softly before rolling over, smiling, tongue lolling out.

“This one is destined to be a smart one,” Howl smiled back at the pup, “His fur, eyes, and body structure realistically match everything our original ancestors had almost impeccably."

The second largest pup, the pup that would soon be called Crystal, whimpered, and the elder picked her up and laid her closely next to her sister, who would soon be bestowed the name Glacier, and was the third and smallest pup. “These two are fated to cause mischief. Gotta be careful around this duo.” The elder chuckled, showing yet another rare, toothy smile.

Howl noticed that all three pups were upset in some way. Jacob was whining, Crystal growling softly, and Glacier lying still. 

“My pups are cold.” Fortune told Howl, having also noticed.

“No worries. We will put them in the cave we conduct the testing in. They’ll be nice and cozy there.” Howl’s reply sounded not quite annoyed, but not happy either, so Fortune nodded. Howl was known for clinical detachment, but he was not that bad when you got to know him. 

“We’re almost done with the preparations.” A male wolf with a mask whom she had not noticed before said from a corner of the cave. “Mrs. Fortune, please follow me and bring the pups down to the cave.” Howl had disappeared somewhere. Fortune followed the nurse. They walked down the long stone hallway, Fortune carrying her pups. As she got to the end, she looked up. A few words were carved into the arch at the entry. ‘No pregnant wolves allowed.’

Fortune stepped forward, reckoning she didn’t fit the sign’s conditions. 

“Sorry, ma’am. Please wait out here. The light there and all the chemicals may not be safe for you, as you are still healing from your recent pregnancy.” The doctor said, pulling his mask over his muzzle with a paw while speaking in a matter of fact tone.

Fortune thought about asking if this so-called radiation would hurt her pups, but settled for replying with “Ok, as long as my babies are safe,” and lying down on the cold stone floor near the entrance while the doctor walked on a soft mat of leaves. Instead, she asked “What will you do? To test them, of course.”

“We will test a bit of their saliva, look at their DNA-” Fortune started at that and the nurse put his paw on his neck. “Just their fur, don't worry.” Fortune relaxed. “And finally see if your pups have the power.” And the doctor walked into the room and put some gloves on. 

Each of the doctor's paws clutched a pup, and the nurse carried the last one as they stepped into the room and shut the door. Fortune peered underneath the crack. Everything was dark.

 After a few seconds, there was flashing light through the cracks in the door.

Fortune heard howling, whimpering, and then… silence. A few minutes passed in more, deafening silence, or maybe it was hours.

Fortune started pacing back and forth, “Are my pups okay?” she yipped hesitantly, sounding like  a young school-pup. 

 “Yes.” A nurse responded, stepping outside the door. 

 “Your children are taking the Elemental Test of Powers, They’ll be out soon.” 

“Okay.” she replied, still nervous, but completely trusting the staff here. After all, it was where her husband was born.

She thought about her husband some more. “He had powers too…” she thought. “But then he left me after I found out we were having pups-”

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the doctor walking into the room.

“I have some news for you,” said the doctor with no visible emotion. Fortune sighed, worried.

“Follow me.” The doctor said, and turned around, padding softly towards the nearby hallway.

The doctor led her into another room, and as soon as she entered, the doctor closed the

door. 

“Your children have the Elemental Powers. No young wolves have had more probability of being able to learn all the powers than them in centuries!” the doctor said, smiling.  

“My children have the powers?!” Fortune cried, tears of joy falling down her face. “Amber and Slush will finally have someone to play with with their powers-” she stopped. Right. She had forgotten. Again.

“But there is something weird about the boy, Jacob. His brain is different from the others. He might be more vulnerable to illness. But as long as he is kept healthy and happy, everything will be fine.” The nurse explained. 

“Are you sure?” Fortune asked.

“Absolutely.” the nurse responded. 

“Just don’t let him wander too far away from supervision.” The doctor said, “But the good news is that he, as I predicted, is very smart, and he will most likely be an excellent, curious pup.”

“Please sign this form, to get a scholarship from Mrs. Claws.” added the nurse, “Scholarships are free for such promising pups.” Fortune happily signed the form, grinning from ear to ear, “Thank you!”

____________________________________________________________________________

At first, they couldn’t see, couldn’t hear. The only thing the pups destined for greatness could do, was wriggle and yip.

____________________________________________________________________________

4 weeks of very loud and noisy commotion later…

“Mom!!” Jacob, ever being the excited for learning pup, yelped. “Could you teach me how to hunt some lizards?” 

“I don't have to honey, as Mrs. Claws will teach you tomorrow.” Fortune replied, nuzzling Jacob's side fondly.

 “Ugh, we’re going to school?” Crystal, one of the mischievous duo, muttered to Glacier, the other member of the predicted duo. 

“SO Annoying!” Glacier agreed, sighing.

“Hey, Crystal, guess what?” Glacier asked.

“Yesterday, I heard Jacob go to the bathroom, singing, ‘Oh I'm Jacob, J-A-C-O-B! the COOLEST WOLF you will ever know!!!’”

“Weird!” Crystal laughed.

“And then he started to list all the math problems he learned yesterday from playing with our neighbors!”

Just then their mom said “Kids! Time for bed!”

Jacob leapt out of his chair, just as their mom leaned forward towards Jacob and grabbed him, calling for the others to follow before walking to their beddings. As they snuggled in, Fortune licked each of them goodnight.

“Night Momma.” Crystal muttered. 

“Night Mum!” Glacier whispered.

 “Night Mom.” Jacob yawned. “Hey, Mom, do you think singing in the mirror and dancing in a tutu would make me cool?” 

“I don’t know, honey. I don’t know.” Fortune chuckled.

____________________________________________________________________________

Overnight, Fortune trotted to Mrs. Claw's cave, ears cocked and nose twitching at the smell of something that smelled…different. 

When she walked through the hole to her cave though, she was as happy as ever, and banished the strange smell thought to the back of her mind. 

“Come in, Mrs. Farter, I was expecting you with my physics powers!” Mrs. Claws grinned. 

“Thank you for inviting me. I am here to return the form with the scholarship. Can you please explain how you are gonna teach my kids?” Fortune asked, handing Mrs. Claws the form. Mrs. Claws gave Fortune a curt nod then smiled.

“Well, the first thing I am going to do is to let them pick their powers, and then teach them. It’ll take months for them to learn their powers, especially because it’s their first time.” Mrs. Claws responded. “Then, they will battle and train, and on and on, until they’re mature enough and we will find a better teacher to teach them advanced powers. I’m only the teacher that teaches young pups after all.” 

“Great! Thank you SO much, Claws! I owe you one and I hope they behave!” Fortune replied, lingering at the hole before leaping out into the night, throwing her head back, and howling with joy. 

Once she got home, Fortune lay in bed, thinking about the next day and feeling excited for her pups…