-1Anuka lay silently in the tall grass of a high plateau. The wind was chilly, even though it was spring, but Anuka didn’t care. Her thick fur coat, covered in gray and white, spittled with black specks, kept her warm no matter what the temperature. She lay with her eyes open, amber colored, thoughtful, and wise. Anuka was a very old wolf, and had seen many, many things. She knew her time was coming close to its end, and her vast knowledge of the world must be passed on to a new successor. Something threatening was coming, and soon.

She lifted her head up to the wind, nose first. She sensed the world around her. The great tall peaks made of basalt and pumice, thrown onto their slopes by the massive power of the interior of the Earth, her planet. Their steeply sloped sides were snow-covered, from base to summit crater. Around her, tiny highland flowers of various colors bloomed in the sunlight that broke through the morning gray of cloud cover.

Anuka stood up on all fours and listened to the world around her. The constant sound of wind, blowing fluffy clouds over the volcanic peaks surrounding her, and of the lemmings, rodents scurrying through the grass, were all around her. The waves of green made their gentle brushing sounds, and the spruces at the edge of her meadow spoke on the wind.

Anuka listened, listened for which young wolf of her pack should be the one who learns the secrets she had discovered. They were secrets that were given to her in her dreams. In her heart, she knew the one pup who could use her knowledge to the best was the orphan pup, Yalo.

She listened to the wind. “Yalo it is, then.”

--

Four wolf pups bounded playfully around a large ancient lava bomb that was covered in lichen. They took turns climbing to the top, and howling and barking innocently at an imaginary enemy. They wrestled, played, and bounded around each other.

All the while, one gray pup sat away from the ruckus. Sometimes he watched, but he was mostly focused on the clouds in the sky. He had dark gray fur all over his body and had black freckles on his face and muzzle. He was a little shaggier than the rest, but that could’ve been due to the fact that he wasn’t a blood relative to the rest of the pack, but a foreigner. His most puzzling feature was his left eye, which was white, even though his right eye was a dark brown. His name was Yalo.

One of the other pups, a black male named Warder, bounded over and tackled Yalo to the ground. He bit Yalo’s ear playfully and tugged. Yalo growled lowly and shoved Warder off.

“Yalo! Why do you have to be so grumpy all the time?” Warder questioned Yalo, tilting his head as he spoke. Warder was the curious son of Raochin, the Alpha of the pack. “Can’t you wrestle like a real wolf?”

Yalo narrowed his two eyes. “I could wrestle, but only if I needed to.” Yalo turned and stalked slowly away, head and tail low to the ground. Besides, he thought to himself, I’m stronger than any of those other pups. I could beat them any day.

Warder looked on as his three companions padded up with their curious eyes.

“I wonder where he came from.” A little white female pup named Kazi, spoke to the others. “He’s so different from all of us.”

“I know, just look at that white eye of his. Do you think he’s blind?” the skinny gray and white pup, Chulo, spoke up, with his sly voice. “I don’t like him at all. I don’t even understand why Roachin would even let him join our pack.”

“Chulo,” the brown female, Mura, addressed her brother. They were both the offspring of Shunan, Raochin’s brother. “Yalo was nearly dead and starved when Raochin found him. He felt sorry for the pup and took him in.”

“Raochin made a mistake, sis.” Chulo turned away and went towards the spruce forest. “I don’t trust Yalo. Not at all!” He ran into the forest.

“Chulo!” Mura chased after her brother. Kazi followed as well.

Warder stood alone at the edge of the highland field. Behind him stood the spruce forest, and in front, there was Yalo, walking alone through the field.

--

Yalo was found at the base of one of the nearby volcanoes, nearly dead, only a few days before. Raochin had found Yalo while he was out on a stroll, trying to think of a solution to a conflict that had come up relating to a neighboring pack. Raochin saw Yalo as a possible good omen, and took him in as his own. Jita, his mate, had lost all of her own pups, with the exception of Warder, to a freezing storm, and was more than willing to nurse this newcomer back to health. When the pup finally awoke, he was shy of the other wolves, but soon felt protected by their company. He called himself Yalo, a name he claimed was from his last pack. That was all he spoke of that pack, and his true identity remained to be a secret.

Warder always tried to find out more about Yalo, and did his best to get Yalo to join him and the other pups in games, but all the while, Yalo retreated into himself and kept his own thoughts to himself. Warder never understood this, but he kept trying anyway.

--

“Yalo!” Warder ran after the shaggy gray wolf pup. “Yalo! Hey, wait up!”

Yalo turned his head as he walked and saw the slightly larger black pup pad up to him and wagging his tail in a happy and playful way.

“What do you want?” Yalo stopped and looked Warder in the eye as they stood side by side. “I don’t want to play.”

“I wasn’t going to ask you to play. I already know you don’t like to.”

Yalo just glared. “So what do you want from me now?”

“I just wanted to know more about you. See, maybe the others will like you more if they knew more about you.” Warder acted friendly, and despite Yalo’s annoyance, he was warming up to this wild only son of the Alpha.

“What do you want to know?” Yalo lay down in the grass and rested his head on his folded paws.

“I mostly want to know where you came from.” Warder lay down beside him. “You haven’t said much about your old pack, your mother, your siblings…”

“I don’t have a pack.” Yalo growled and closed his eyes.

Warder was startled by the sudden aggression in Yalo’s voice. “But you must…”

“Yeah, well, they died a long time ago…”

Warder was silent, but then spoke up. “I’m sorry, Yalo.” He got up on his paws.

Yalo opened his eyes and looked up at Warder. The young wolf’s black fur shone in the sunlight and he let it wave in the wind. He looked magnificent. He would make a great Alpha someday, Yalo thought.

“It’s always hard to lose those closest to you. I could relate to your loss, Yalo. I lost all my brothers and sisters to the ice cold of a blizzard. One by one, they faded away, and one by one, tears fell from my mother’s eyes.” Warder dipped his head and then looked at Yalo, who was staring back at him with wonder. “Tell me your story, Yalo.”

Yalo gulped, and looked Warder in the eye. Could he tell his story? Was it safe to?

“It’s okay if you don’t, Yalo. But if you ever need to tell anyone, tell me, okay?” Warder tried to cheer himself up.

Yalo wagged his tail for the first time. “Okay, Warder. When I’m ready.”

--

As the days went on, Warder and Yalo grew close as friends. Yalo eventually learned to wrestle and play from Warder, and was soon one of the best pups at it in the pack. Yalo still didn’t tell anyone about his past, but Warder didn’t mind. He felt that maybe Yalo wanted to keep the past in the past, and that’s that. Chulo and the others eventually softened up to the strange orphan pup as well, but they never felt as close.

As the five wolf pups began to grow up, they began playing less and learning more at the sides of the adult wolves of the pack. They learned to hunt the large deer of the area, and Yalo was very successful at it. As the older wolves taught, Yalo learned quickly, and was the first of the pups to bring down a deer. The other members of the pack admired the orphan, and Alpha Raochin was proud. The pup was a good omen after all. Raochin grew even more proud when his son, Warder, took down his first deer.

As most of the pups grew skilled in the hunt, only Chulo failed to get a kill. He grew frustrated, and tired himself out often while trying to bring one down. He had to prove his worth, and didn’t accept the fact that a lone wolf like Yalo could ever be more successful than he, a blood member of the pack.

Mura watched as her brother chased after a young deer through the field. Kazi sat with her in the grass, also vigilant.

“He’s been so frustrated lately.” Mura spoke softly to her friend. “Just this morning he snapped at me when I asked how he was feeling.”

Kazi cocked her head. The small white wolf looked comical while doing so. “You know it’s only because Yalo is so much better at hunting than he is. You should just let males be males. It’s better not to get involved.”

Mura shook her head. “No, Kazi. I have to help my brother. We’re partners and have been from the start. I have to help him.” She got up and chased after the deer that Chulo was chasing.

“Wait! Mura!” Kazi got on all fours, but decided not to follow.

Chulo was out of breath and let the small deer get away. “I can’t,” he panted, “be a,” he panted more, “be a burden to the pack.” He snarled angrily, and then a familiar scent came to his nose. It was Mura, coming to his side. “Mura?” He looked at her. “What are you doing here?”

Mura looked at him coldly. “I just want this madness to end. I want to help you bring down your first kill.”

Chulo looked at her, and then slowly began to wag his tail. “I have to do this alone.”

“You’ll kill yourself at this rate. Let me help you.” Mura was being serious.

“I need to do it alone, Mura! I need to prove myself!” Chulo leapt at his sister and snarled.

“Look what it’s done to you, Chulo! Has Yalo’s presence really done this much damage?” Mura was deeply concerned for her brother. “Let me help you. I’ll help you bring down a deer, and give you full credit. I won’t say I did anything at all.”

Chulo calmed, knowing his sister was a very good huntress herself. He thought sourly of Yalo, and in his mind, formed his own plan. He lifted his head. “Mura, I’ll be honored if you helped me. For my own strength, and for the strength of the pack!”

“Let’s go and find a deer, then, Chulo.” Mura said, and the pair decided to walk and preserve their energy for the hunt.

--

Warder and Yalo splashed around in the waters of a calm slow-moving river at the edge of the spruce forest. They growled playfully, as they tried to catch the trout swimming below the surface.

“There one goes, Yalo! Ugh! Right through your jaws!”

Yalo tried to catch one again, and splashed his head into the river, jaws catching nothing but the cold of empty water. Yalo pulled his head out, but without success of catching a fish.

“I guess you can’t get a fish, can you?” Warder sloshed over.

“I’d like to see you do any better.” Yalo glared at his friend with a cold stare.

“You don’t think I can catch a lousy fish? Just watch the pro!” Warder stepped away out into shallower water. He stood as still as a stone and watched the fish through the transparent sheen of the surface.

Yalo waited for him to do something, but all Warder did was stand there. The wind picked up a little bit, and Yalo’s mind began to drift from boredom. Across the river, a herd of deer grazed, not caring that they were being watched. Yalo’s stomach grumbled, and he realized he was hungry. He looked over to see Warder still waiting for the perfect moment and decided he didn’t want a fish.

“Warder, I’m going to try to catch a deer.”

Warder ignored him, as if there was nothing in the universe but him and the river.

Yalo began to wade across the water slowly to the other side, all the while his mind was carefully calculating which deer would make the best meal, and which were the easiest to bring down.

“Never go for the stags,” Yalo repeated the older wolves’ teachings, “Go for the old or the sick. They’ll never survive the winter anyway…”

Yalo slowly pulled himself out of the water, tiny droplets fell to the riverbank, barely making a sound. He picked out his target with his keen eyes. It was an old doe, who had a heavy limp as she walked. Easy, Yalo thought to himself. The smell of the deer was strong in his nostrils, as he carefully placed his paws in the dirt. He came up to the edge of the tall grass field where the deer were grazing. The wind caused the grass to wave, consuming any rustling sound he made as he walked.

“Always approach from downwind, you never want to startle the prey.”

He was getting closer, and the heavy breathing of the deer was filling his ears. The smell was sharp, and the stench was all that could be smelled.

Yalo was ready to run now, and he prepared his body ready for the sprint, but something held him back. Something told him not to charge. It was the deer, they weren't grazing anymore, and a few began to run towards Yalo’s right. More and more picked up and ran.

What’s going on? Yalo ran the question through his mind. He looked to the direction the deer were running from, and saw two wolves, from Raochin’s pack, chasing a large stag.

Yalo instantly recognized them. It was Chulo and Mura! He had to find a way to make them stop! Inexperienced wolves should never go after a stag of that size!

“Chulo! Mura!” Yalo called as they came closer. “Stop your chase! Stop!”

They didn’t hear him. They couldn’t. They were too wrapped up in what they were doing.

Chulo, who was trailing behind the stag, looked over and saw that Yalo began to run towards the deer, too. Perfect, was all that Chulo thought, and he kept on chasing the deer.

Mura ran at the stag’s side, not even noticing that Yalo was coming. She snapped at the heals of the stag with calculated movements, causing the stag to kick and buck wildly. Mura narrowly avoided contact with the stag’s sharp hooves, but she kept on going, for her brother...

“Mura! Mura!” Yalo came up to Mura’s side. “Stop your hunt! This is dangerous!”

“I need to bring down this deer! For Chulo!” Mura panted hard, and then snapped at Yalo. “Go away, Yalo! Chulo and I don’t need your help...!” Her words were cut short by large sharp antlers that jut out from her heart and neck, and blood splattered all over Yalo’s freckled face. The stag had stabbed her with his weapons that made his kind dangerous to hunt, and then he tossed her limp body, covered in bloody holes, over the grass. She landed hard, and her broken carcass tumbled across the ground, mangled and unnatural looking.

The stag ran away, uninjured, covered in Mura’s blood. Yalo ignored the deer and walked slowly up to Mura.

“M-Mura...?” Yalo whispered quietly to the body, but there was no answer. Yalo saw the angry red blood dribble across her once proud neck, and more coming from even larger holes in her torso.

Chulo padded up behind Yalo. Yalo heard his pace slow.

“What have you done?” Chulo’s voice was soft, held back. Yalo didn’t dare look at him. “What have you done!?” Chulo raised his voice angrily, then he charged and attacked Yalo, biting and clawing, pinning him to the ground. Yalo didn’t resist, and looked up into the angry devious eyes of Chulo. “What were you thinking, foreigner!? Never distract a wolf from the hunt! Never!” Chulo’s eyes were fiery, and his voice was angry. His glorious white fangs were bared, and his fur raised all the way down his back. “You killed her, Yalo! I cannot let you go!” Chulo snapped his jaws on Yalo’s muzzle, drawing blood. Yalo yelped. “You can never bring her back! She’s dead because of you!”

Yalo lay there, helpless, on his back, with a snarling angry young wolf towering over him like a volcano over the valleys of the mountains. Fear ran through his body, but he knew he couldn’t stay here. He could not stay with the wolves.

“I didn’t do it!” Yalo used his hind legs to push Chulo’s body away from him. He rolled over onto all fours, and tried to get up. Before he knew it, however, Chulo had leapt at him, digging his dagger-like fangs down through his fur and into flesh. Yalo cried out in pain, and then snapped back at Chulo’s front paw, and crunched down as hard as he could. Chulo squealed after he heard the breaking of bone, his bone. He pulled away from Yalo.

Chulo saw Yalo run away through the field. Chulo just stood there, favoring his paw, growling while his blood dripped onto the soil below. “You can never come back, lone wolf! Never! A wolf’s life ended because of you! Raochin will banish you into exile!” Chulo called out to Yalo as he ran, and those were the last words Yalo heard from the young gray wolf.

Chulo’s mind raced, and he saw his sister’s body in the grass. The trap was set, and Yalo could never be better than him again. He turned and ran as best he could on his injured paw, to find the older wolves of the pack, and tell them about what had happened, in his own words.

--

Anuka lay alongside the other members of her pack in the warm sunlight. As they basked, the wolves whined happily in their dreams, and even wagged their tails. Anuka was asleep, too, but she did not sleep as carefree as the others. Her dreams were dark and empty, with only a few points of distant light.

Anuka felt weightless, floating over a sea of blackness. Fuzzy spots seemed randomly placed below her, dim, but the only visible points in this unusual region. How could such a place exist? She thought to herself in her dream.

Look up.

Something within Anuka spoke to her, and her curiosity of this place overwhelmed her. She looked up and saw the most dazzling sight she had ever witnessed, in reality or in her dreams.

The sky above was a ceiling of a dazzling sea of brightness! Long arms of stars stretched out from a dense radiant heart. Towards the center, reds and oranges filled her eyes, while the outstretched limbs of the spiral were glittered with blues, whites, and yellows. It was the glory of the black sky in the vast and empty universe, and Anuka could hardly comprehend what she was seeing.

This cloud of stars, held together by gravity, is where your home resides. The words drifted through the mind of Anuka. The voice seemed familiar to her... It is full of wondrous intelligent and wise races of species.

Anuka tried to envision these wise races. They were very wolflike.

Among these great species is the chieftains of the starcloud itself, an aquatic race that has been building their civilization for eons longer than any other. Their advanced race was both admired and feared, most of all by their slaves, which was a foolish and intelligent species.

Why were they foolish?

One of them stole something from their masters, a fine piece of advanced technology that no other species possessed...

Technology?

That bit of technology was that of a weapon that could destroy planets, and that’s just what the slave wanted. He wanted to destroy his masters, and for that, he must be punished...

“Anuka! Raochin! Everybody, wake up!” Anuka awoke and got up on her paws. She shook her head and looked around. It was Chulo, slowly limping but with urgency in his voice. Something was terribly wrong, and a cold chill traveled down her spine.