~Chapter Eight~
“Citron!” Pineapple cried. “You can’t make him fight! He’s a wolfling of promise! He needs to live, and save the world!”
Queen Alexandrite, arched an eyebrow. “Actually? I wouldn’t have thought that, by looking at the poor thing.”
Fearbringer, stared awestruck at Citron. “Are you really that GrassPaw? I imagined you big and buff like that SunPaw. What a disappointment.” Fearbringer said.
“Tails up! Claws out! Kill!”
Fearbringer began circling Citron, like a lion on its prey. “You can hit me first. I’m going to win either way.”
The GrassPaw felt his ear for the earrings. Sure, enough the jewellery was still there. He stood his ground and let vines shoot from him travelling over the dirt to Fearbringer. She jumped back, and spread a pair of wings, that sprouted from her back.
“Whoa!” she said.
“Hmph.” Citron said. The vines reached up and grabbed the wolf’s hind legs. Dragging her back to the floor. She began to bite the plants, and claw at them. Citron held on until she ripped through them, bursting into a Heat Dragon.
Fearbringer roared and blew fire to him.
Danburite yawned, similar to a howl, loudly, abruptly stopping the match.
“This is getting tiring! Let’s make this interesting! Open the floodgates!” ordered the king.
“Yes, sir!” said a pair of wolves. Simultaneously, they pulled down a heavy lever, and the other gates closed, covering them with a rock wall.
An alternate barrier sprung open, torrents of water rushing in and flooding the arena.
Fearbringer, flapped higher to avoid the waves. Citron was slammed against the sides of the walls, and sunk to the floor. He tried to swim to the surface, the force of the water pushing him back down. His paws flailed and began flapping helplessly. They were like useless vines on a dying tree. Dangling with no purpose of ing it.
Vines! I’ll use the vines to help me out.
Long vines sprung out of him, tangling onto loose stones and the edges of the stadium over him. The plants started to heave him upward. Bursting out of the water, had gasped and coughed violently.
Fearbringer, was now in the form of a blue scaled dragon. Humongous wings, a lashing sharp tail, with a grin that chilled Citron to the bone.
He gripped his claws, and growled at her. Waves rose and hit Citron hard on his spine, trying to cling onto dear life.
Laughing maniacally, she, soared to him.
His fur began standing on edge and anger burned through his veins.
I am not dying like this! he promised himself. These wolves. They need me. Pineapple, Sage, Apricot, the soldiers, the wolves stolen from their Clans, . . . Beetle and his unhatched sibling. They’ve all been waiting for years, to make this war stop. I’m so close I can’t give up now!
Fearbringer opened her mouth, ready to come in for her kill.
“Stop!” screamed Citron. Fearbringer halted mid-air, startled by his outburst.
“Why do you want to kill me? I’ve never even met you before! Yet you want to rip me to shreds? Do you just kill on instinct?!”
Fearbringer looked at the king, who was staring at the scene.
She curled her talons in to fists, closing her eyes. “Shut up! Just let me kill you!” She thrashed about in the air. Trying to fly forward with no success.
“It’s no use struggling. My powers are much stronger than you, Fearbringer. We don’t have to fight, we can talk. Like how wolves used to resolve their issues.” Citron held out a paw, and closed it snapping Fearbringer’s wings and talons, to her body.
“Ugh! Why can’t you understand anything? I was born this way! A killer! So, if you don’t mind, I’d like to finish my king’s orders?”
“Orders! These aren’t orders! You don’t have to do what he says. He’s controlling you, not hel-.”
A blood curdling shriek erupted from the crowd. Balls of stone flew into the arena, touching down on the water exploding into sand and pebbles. It shot into the watchers of the fight, hitting some, as others ran.
The water gate began to open again and it poured in faster. A wolf must have hit it while they were escaping, and not have noticed.
Tsunamis of waves filled the arena. Citron, turned to Fearbringer. “Quick, turn into something and let the water out some way!” She glared at him. “No way! Just let me go!”
Ignoring her, he used his vines, and created a large bowl to catch all the water, and made the vines soak it up. Using another paw, he made a barrier to close up the flowing water gate. He, reached with one of his vines, and pulled down a lever to open all of the gates.
Looking back, he saw vines that had been forcefully ripped apart, and the shape of a blue dragon soaring away.
Durian seeds!
“Citron!” Nightgazer leaped to him. “What’s going on? Aaaah!” she yelped as another ball hit the dirt floor.
“We have to release the rest of the prisoners! All the GrassPaws, everyone!” Citron said.
“What about them?” Fennec said.
He looked up and saw Sage forcefully pulling at his chains.
“Canary.” The WindPaw bit off her chains, and spread her wings. “I need you to fly up there and break off their chains. When you’re finished bring them down through the cells, we’ll be waiting for you.”
Nodding she took to the air and flew over to the struggling wolves
Smelter burned off everyone’s chains, and Citron lead the group down to the cells. Wolves huddled as the sound off chaos rumbled overhead.
“Smelter, start burning the locks off the cell doors. And could you three do that as well?” he pointed to FlamePaws standing to the side, one of them Pyro.
“Why should we listen to some GrassPaw wolfling?” Pyro proclaimed. “Because if you don’t, you’re as good as dead.” Smelter said.
Mumbling something under her breath Pyro, followed Smelter to the locks.
“Everyone else, help the wolves inside the cell if they’re badly injured.” Nightgazer stepped in.
Wolves helped others, out and through the corridor. Canary came flapping down, with four others behind her.
“Look who I’ve found.” she said. Sparrow and Princess Incinerate walked down the staircase, in tow. “They were trapped in an alternate prison with a few others. But those wolves were GemPaws and escaped already through the ocean.”
Sage, strolled up and hugged his brother tightly. “Citron! I missed you so much.” he stepped back and saw Pineapple rolling her eyes at them. “You too, Sage. But we can catch up later.”
All the prisoners were released and crowded the small hallway. Fennec came running back, with a key in his mouth. “There’s a ageway just back there. If we go quickly, we can make it out that way. This key unlocks the door to it, I had to wrestle it from a guard to get so-.”
“Why did it go quiet all of a sudden?” observed Sparrow.
Citron cocked his ear to listen closer. Footsteps echoed through the staircase, as he edged his body slowly away from it.
“This way!” said a voice above.
Fennec ran to the other side of the corridor opening the door. Citron led the wolves forward, and through the twisting hall. At the end was a beam of light, and the smell of salt water. He started to the edge and stopped abruptly.
Below him were rushing waves, and swimming tiger fish.
“Dead end!” said a wolf behind me.
“No, we can get past it.” he turned to the crowd behind him. “We need GemPaws and MoonPaws up front quickly.”
A bundle of thirty wolves came marching forward.
“What do you need Citron?” his friend Flaxen said.
“I need you all to shift into dragons, so you can carry the others over the ocean and back to land.” explained Citron.
Moments pasted until all them were in the forms of different dragons. He let the wolves slowly get onto them, about five on each dragon. “That should be all of them.” Smelter said with the wolflings behind him.
“Hurry they’re getting away!”
“Come on, kid, I can carry you and your friends.” Flaxen held out a golden wing to let the wolves on. They clambered on and Citron looked back as they glided away. Five yellow wolves barked back at them. One stared at him with watchful azure eyes. Those eyes followed Citron, until the clouds and wingbeats of Flaxen carried him far away.
SunPaws, realized Citron. Queen Beige must have sent them, probably after her soldiers. Or maybe . . .someone else.
“Flaxen, can you fly ahead of everyone. I want to direct them where the jungle edge is.” Citron stayed low to Flaxen’s back as he dived to fly faster than the other dragons.
They led the group across the twisting sea; land was much farther than Citron had thought, though. The wind currents picked up and swayed his fur side to side. Sniffing the air, he smelt, the saltiness of the ocean waves.
Seagulls, circled in the sky and cawed at each other.
“Look down there.” said Jinx. “It’s the mainland. We’re almost there!” Flaxen sped up as they reached the shoreline and gently landed on the sand beach.
Wolves toppled off of the dragons and spread across the ground.
Citron counted every wolf; all the GrassPaws were ed for. Sage and Pineapple were making their way over, as his friends went off to help some wolf pups that had landed in the trees. And the others left to treat wounded wolves.
“Citron! You did it! Maybe now we can catch up on the past years you went missing?” His brother shrugged a shoulder to him.
“You’re my family, of course we have time to talk. But before we talk, I should tell you, that I’m not staying for long. Me and my friends are the wolflings of promise. And we have to save the world and all that. I’m sorry.” Citron stared down at his emerald paws, twining his tail around them.
“No worries, little brother. We totally understand. Now to the events that lead us here?” Sage encouraged him on.
“Yes, well that’s complicated.” Citron shifted into the rocky sand. “I was taken by a WindPaw, that was part of the BloodClaws, years ago and kept away in a cave for the last thirteen years. But we escaped a week ago. My friend Canary found a gemstone . . .the gemstone. One of them at least. The gemstones of power are what I’m referring to. We’re trying to find all of them and, hopefully with their abilities, save the world with them.”
Sage, chuckled under his breath. “You sound just like Father when you talk. Full of excitement and adventure.”
He cocked an eyebrow, and stared up at them.
“Father never acts like that anymore.” Pineapple scoffed. “He’s always serious and stern with everyone. He didn’t even bother considering, Okapi’s. . .or I suppose whoever that wolf was. When he proposed to being my mate a few days ago.”
“You have a mate!? When did that happen?” Sage laughed. “I guess it’ll never truly happen.” Pineapple huffed. “If Father has anything to say about it at least.”
“Speak of the devil.” Citron said. On his far left was a familiar cloaked wolf, dragging three others behind him. “Okapi?” Pineapple said.
“You idiot!” screamed King Danburite behind him. “How hard is it to follow orders of your king!? When or even if we return to the kingdom remind me to never send you on a mission ever again!”
Pineapple ran up to him, tossing her arms around him. “Huh?” Okapi said. “It’s you! I thought you were gone for sure. But I was wrong.”
Queen Alexandrite coughed back saltwater and wiped away strands of seaweed. “Don’t turn your back on your Alphas!” she demanded. “We are still talking to you!”
“Pineapple I need to tell you something.” Okapi continued. The queen growled behind him. “I’m a hybrid. Sort of. I mean I’m from GrassPaw descent, but adopted by a GemPaw. So, born from one Clan raised in another. Well at least that’s what I thought, until I met Apple a year ago.” He gestured to the older wolf who was resting on the sand.
“He’s my half-brother. Apparently, we have the same mother and different fathers. It kind of makes sense, he is half GrassPaw and half GemPaw so it works out. I guess.” Pineapple breathed a sigh.
“If you’re full GrassPaw then why did King Danburite say he was your Alpha? Isn’t my uncle your king?”
Okapi glanced over his shoulder to Danburite, who was shivering from the cold water he emerged from. He shrugged.
“I did grow up in his territory and Clan. So, he is my king, but by blood King Acacia is my true ruler. I just follow Danburite’s orders as an Alpha.”
He scratched the back of his neck, with a sheepish smile. “He left me back in the jungle when I was old enough to keep a secret, and put me into an orphanage system. I grew up there and when I got into my teen years, I regularly visited the Gem Kingdom, to report back to him. Then he sent me different assignments. Like when he ordered me to bring you to the arena, a week ago. But he promised me you’d only watch the battles and not be a part of them. And you weren’t. Until we found your brother and the king placed him into the arena. I’m really sorry.”
“Oh, it doesn’t matter anyhow.” Pineapple pressed her forehead against his. “Everyone is safe. As long as you’re still smart, dashing, and funny. You’re the same Okapi I fell in love with.”
Sage wagged his tail in the sand clearing his throat. “If Okapi isn’t any type of GemPaw hybrid, what is wrong with his tail?” Sage pointed to the wolf’s thin tail.
“My parents wanted me to look the closest to a GemPaw. Every month I shave my tail to make only fur grow on the tip like the rest of the Clan. It must have looked odd when I was growing up though, huh?”
Pineapple gave him a tiny nod.
“Now that we’ve had a little mingle amongst ourselves, can somebody please tell, me where in land of Talon Mark we are!” imposed Queen Alexandrite.
“Mother please. We are obviously near the Jungle of Twisted Talons! Where else would a GrassPaw bring us? The desert?” Opal said.
Citron, observed the sky for a moment. The sun was at its highest peak, beaming through the clouds and hitting the beach with its heat. “If we head for the jungle now, we’ll probably make it back in time for nightfall.”
The wolflings hurriedly gathered up the wolves, and led them into the jungle outskirts. They trotted over fallen trees, butterflies peacefully flapping through the wolves’ path. “Look mommy!” squeaked a tiny voice, from the back of the cluster of wolves.
“It’s a lizard! Can we eat it!” he asked. “No, sweetie we can’t eat it.” replied an older female voice. “The scaly thing might be poisonous. When we reach the GrassPaw village we’ll find some fruit or fish for dinner.”
Poor thing, Citron thought. All of them must be starving. In need of a hot meal, that will soon arrive to them. Maybe, if I concentrate hard enough, I can go into my uncle’s mind and tell him what has happened recently. I just . . .need to . . .focus.
He closed his eyes slightly, but enough to see if anything was in front of him.
Citron stepped out of a pile of gorgeous capes and hoods. Beetle and monarch jewels clipping them together. He stepped back and stared at the looming pile of fabrics. Azure, jade, and warm pink and magentas shimmering above him.
He walked down a platform and used his tail to swing himself across, landing onto of a much bigger wolf. “Citron!” Acacia said. “How nice it is to see your face, since the last two days. Or was it three? Meh, I can never tell!” The king moved from under him and with a stride, to an open treasure chest.
“Come here for a minute.” he said. Citron stepped up beside him and saw down into the chest. A necklace of flowers, and diamonds shined, near a ruby studded snake armband. “That looks just like the one Pineapple wears.” The green wolf pointed to the jewellery.
“It is the same one! Well just my dream one I made in my mind. It came from Queen Amazon, when she ruled. She had the most fashionable gems in her generation. It has the power to control any body of water. Even a single teardrop! I’ve never told Pineapple that of course. She does have her powers after all. But doesn’t seem to want to use them very often any more. Quite odd for a Dracoblood. That’s what we call royals with powers by the way.” Acacia sighed, and picked up the armband, pulling it on his arm. It seemed to gaze at Citron with its ruby eyes.
“Uncle Acacia!” Citron finally blurted. “Me and the others are returning to the jungle in a few hours. With . . .a few others. About sixty wolves that we saved from King Danburite’s arena.”
Acacia squinted a little. “So, you aren’t part of my dream? All these things you’re telling me is in real life? And you can actually do that?! Huh. I suppose your powers are much stronger than I thought . . .much stronger indeed.”
“Citron open your eyes we need to cross the big river. What are you doing?” Nightgazer’s voice called.
“I need to leave Uncle. But before I do, make sure you prepare enough food for the wolves I’m bringing, and some dragons that can heal serious injuries. Also, King Danburite and the rest of the royal family is also coming. Bye!”
“Wait what! I am not taking care of some GemPaw royals! Citron!”
He opened his eyes, hearing the intense sound of rushing water in front of him.
“I think the currents are too strong to swim across. Maybe we can fly them over it instead?” Fennec offered. Citron looked over the vast group of tired prisoners. “Yeah that could work. But the Moon and GemPaws have already done enough. And It’ll take too long for every WindPaw to lift one wolf over the river at one time.” Think, Citron think! Which of your powers could help in this situation? I guess if I use my vines to tie into a bridge that could work.
He raised his paw to the water, vines spilling out of him. The plants flew, and clutched onto the other side of the riverbank. They twisted and turned until creating a wide and sturdy and leafy, bridge.
Fennec and Sparrow stood in the other side as Canary, Fennec, and Smelter ushered wolves on and across it.
When the last wolfling wobbled to the end of the bridge, Citron let his friends cross, and pulled back in his vines. He flipped to the dirt across, and continued his journey.
When they at last made it to the village King Acacia was waiting with Queen Tropic at the east entrance. Two other wolves stood beside her.
“Welcome back!” Acacia said. Citron stayed behind as his friends led the wolves the rest of the way. “Uncle Acacia. Thank you for everything, truly.”
The king gave him a gracious nod. “No problem, anything for my nephew. Now that me and Cider have chosen to help you all with the war, my daughters also came to help out with the others.” he swept a paw towards the two other wolves. A GrassPaw about three years older than Citron, was wearing a pendant of a snake, and three earrings on one point of her ear.
“Hello, Cousin.” she said. “I’m Canopy, and this is Yellowhorn my sister.” She gestured to a gorgeous peach coloured GrassPaw, wearing no accessories other than a thin black chocker, and a green pouch.
“They’ve come with some others that can help with the injuries of the arena wolves. And sadly, a bit of bad news, for you.” Acacia drooped his ears for a slight second.
Yellowhorn presented a stack of papers from her pouch. She dropped them on a tree stump, that she cleared with her tail.
And the first thing Citron’s eye caught was a drawn picture of a grinning Fennec, and WANTED written in red over the paper.
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