Unknown World part 9

Chapter 16

Craterday kept shifting his paws eagerly, Leaf looked the same way but more excited than eager. Coil looked as if he just wanted to know what his friend was up to. Me on the other paw could care less. It was a bunch of nonsense, I've heard of Kill County as a pup. Never thought it was real and here we are but to me it doesn't seem as bad as the name.
"Alright let's go." Coil nods to Craterday and he leads us out. I thought this place had no rules and yet we have to follow so much more than I thought, like not crossing borders from one territory to another. In the stories I heard there weren't even territories. Bunch of lies that turned out to be.
But as much as I may hate this place and think if all still part of Sword County I have to admit it's got some potential to it.
"Stem, look out." Craterday says in a not too warning way at all. I took a sharp turn to face him but my hind paws slipped beneath me. I clawed the ground with my forepaws able to grab a hold of something.
"Are you just going to stand there?" I growled at Craterday. I hadn't been paying much attention but Coil and Leaf had already crossed and watched anxiously not knowing what they could do. I felt my paws starting to slip and no matter what I did I couldn't get back up. Again I looked up and Craterday was nowhere to be seen. Next thing I know he's in the water balancing on a small log.
"I don't care if you trust me or not but when I say jump and try to get on the branch." The water below seemed to be raging. It was fast and very rocky. Nodding I attempt to keep my hold. "Now!" He calls after a small wait. I jump hoping that I would be fine. I was able to land on the log next to Craterday. The other side was too high for us to jump especially when we were closer to the side I slipped on. "Dig your claws in. Haven't you even been on a wet log?"
Leaf looks down for once serious. "Is there anything we can do?" Coil nodded at Craterday and he nodded back.
"Leaf come with me, we're going downstream." They rush downstream and seem to vanish between the brush and trees.
As we go down I see they were placing a smaller branch than the one we were on in the water. This part was narrow so it was easy to grab a hold of the branch. I grabbed it first and Craterday soon followed. Both of us struggle up but manage to get back on solid ground. Craterday turns to me, "Next time watch where you're going, fur brain!" He shakes his wet pelt. "Now let's go before someone almost falls in again." He turns sharply and leads us through more woods.

We hadn't walked long before we entered a camp of some sort. Once we did all the wolves there seemed to turn to us. I turn to Craterday and he just looks around. A wolf comes up to us and looks at Craterday.
"Zenza said you'd be back. Bonky is hunting but Donza and Zenza are in their den. If you want we can keep the rest of your group entertained." He asks. This wolf was all grey with blue eyes. I didn't know who this wolf was but Craterday seemed to trust him.
"No, they have the right to know why I came back. Thanks." He waves his tail to us and we nervously walk behind him.
"Who was that?" Leaf asks, which I had the same question.
"Don't know his name but I do know he's the beta." He answers very short. We entered the den and there was an older wolf and a younger one. "Zenza, Donza," He dips his head politely. "This is Coil, Stem, and Leaf." As he says our names he points to each of us with his tail.
"Welcome to my pack, all of you." The older of the two says. "I'm Zonza, this is my daughter Donza." She fully says who's who. She seemed kind and reasonable.
'' Thank you, Zonza." Coil dips his head. "If you don't mind I'd like to meet some of the wolves in your pack." Zonza dips her head.
"Very well. Any of you may go and speak with them. I should warn you they aren't all willing to talk with strangers." Coil nods a thank you and walks out, Leaf follows hesitantly then runs out to join him. I wanted to stay and learn more about Zenza and why Craterday wanted to come here.
"We are sorry you had to find out the way you did." Zenza told Craterday once they left. "We did it so you wouldn't remember that you fought with them at first. It was better at the time. We should've put a time limit on it but we never did. Those memories are gone forever I'm afraid." Zenza obviously regretted whatever had happened.
"Wait, you fought with Lert and Neako?" My shock came from nowhere. I was hoping I was wrong about when Zenza had said they and she was talking about someone else. Instead Craterday nodded his head.
"Yes I did. I'm not proud of it by all means but I did." Craterday admits. "I was young and stupid."
Zenza nods "We all were at one point. He had a right to be you know but that's a long story. Short version is that our pack believed if you had two different colored eyes you were bad luck adding on his dark pelt made things worse." Now I understood some of the reason he was sour most of the time. Still didn't explain much in this sense though but in times come I'm sure it will, I hope. That wasn't what I was expecting to hear but it was better than something stupid, like this whole trip here. I hate water like that now. Never had a problem with it before. Then again that was before I could've just drowned and had to be rescued by my friends. I mean there's a much worse way that it could have ended.

Chapter 17

On our way home I couldn’t help but think about the sick mother who had to raise four kits alone. Her mate had died protecting them from a rogue who was going to kill them to get more prey for themselves. She claimed that she couldn’t recognize the wolf who had killed her mate; it was dark by time they had attacked. That’s another thing I thought was off about her story. At first she said it was only one who attacked but then said there was a they. Every time I asked her a new question she’d change her story. I don't think even she knew what happened besides her mate was dead and someone killed him. Coil seemed interested in who this mystery wolf was. I knew he used to live in Kill County as a rogue but I don’t know how he would know this wolf.
Then again Craterday knew where Zenza was even though it's been years. Stem was still skeptical of this whole place. Almost like she didn't believe that there was such a place as this. Craterday made it seem like there were no rules considering he just walked into their territory without waiting for a patrol or anything. Almost like he owned the whole forest.
“So what happened with Zenza?” Coil asks, trying to give some sort of conversation. We had been quite quiet since we started back. Stem seems confused and in some sort of shock. Craterday’s being his normal weirdness, often shifting his paws, looking around, and eyeing us all expecting someone to say something dumb. How is that weird? I don't know it just seems like that even though we have been with one another for a while he doesn't seem to have trust in any of us.
“ Well for one I found out Craterday once fought for Lert and Neako.” Stem seems to regret what she said almost immediately. Craterday looks at her with a look that seemed to say ‘I’ll kill you’. Not that I was surprised by that at all, I mean I like him but I’m still not surprised that he would kill someone for giving out something like that. Coil seemed to have already known this because he didn't seem surprised by any of this. Me on the other paw didn't know what to think about him helping Lert and Neako. They both haven't let us get much sleep in the time I’ve been here.
I just looked back and forth from them all not knowing what to say or how to act. Craterday continued walking after our pause of not knowing what to say or do. We all kinda followed in silence, Craterday eventually was behind us all his ears were down but not in a sad way. More of an embarrassed way.
“So are we just not going to talk about this?” I couldn’t help but ask, I wanted to know what had happened and why Craterday had at one point chosen to help the two brothers, who apparently hated us.
Sharply turning to me I could see clear anger in his eyes. I thought he was going to claw me. Instead he just walked off leaving us all behind him. If we tried following him that would be proven complicated. After leaving the woods following him we found a mountain like thing. It was smaller than one but had the same things on it.
“This is Half Mountain, it’s also a volcano. There’s a few secrets about it but only few know about them. The lava inside of it is no longer there, during a fight long before any of us were born a spell was cast that only two nights before a large and deadly fight would the lava refill. According to legend anyway.” Coil explains.
“Leaf I’ll tell you what happened in the cave with Zenza. So what I found out was that the reason he helped Lert and Neako was because his pack more or less rejected him. Why? Because of his different colored eyes which the pack thought was bad luck. I don't know if that's what he doesn't want you to know or if he just doesn't want questions.” Stem finally steps in. Still that made sense, if he doesn't want us to know his past then why stay where questions would be raised. Stem walks up to stand by Coil, “So are we just going to let him go or do we follow?”
Coil looks unsure about what to do but after a pause he finally decides what to do. "I don't know anything about that volcano's secrets but I do know that Craterday could be in trouble or stupid. Also I shouldn tell you, he can get a little hot headed and by a little I mean a lot. Smart and clever as he may be everyone can be stupid when angry or sad. Like I said I don't know the secrets and stuff of this place so stay by me at all times." He cautions us. Besides it's only like we're going in a volcano with no lava, secrets I get to see, and the possibility of something going completely wrong! This was going to be incredibly fun, but I don't think they see it like that.
"Let's go then.'' I say to them wanting to go in as soon as possible. Coil shakes his head knowing I was excited and Stem just follows with a roll in her eyes.
"There's probably nothing strange about this place. You both seem to have lots of superstition." She claims following Coil.
Once we were up the Half Mountain volcano thing trouble found its way to us. I was definitely excited and found it oddly funny when Stem fell through a hole that just seemed to come out of nowhere. I took a few more steps before I fell in a really dark hole. It was super fun, you just kept sliding and sliding and sliding and slid- oh wait you stop on stone ground. I couldn't see a thing but it was super comfortable underground. Well until I felt like some odd presence was watching me. I couldn't see it of course, I couldn't even see my snout in front of me.
“Hello?” I called to the thing watching me. There was no answer so I called out to them again. I could feel fear but it wasn't from what was watching me it was from me. Every time i was afraid before someone was able to help me know what was happening or my excitedness would scare away my fright.
“Hello, traveler. “ Someone answered. The voice was that of an older female. What animal, I still could not tell.
Fire was lit somewhere and I could see a type of cat in front of me. She had black stripes on her orange pelt. Her underneath was completely white. It reminded me of a picture in my cave the first night I was here.
“Who are you and where am I? Do you know where Coil, Stem, and Craterday are?” At the time of my questions I forgot she probably didn’t know them by their names.
“ Coil and Craterday have returned? If this is so I must tell the others!” She looked at me and most likely saw my confusion and disappointment that she didn’t answer my questions. “ Where are my manors, I’m Shella. You're in one of the many surprise tunnels all of them have their own ways of testing ones will. You must make it to the center in order to get out and to find your friends.” I opened my mouth to ask one more question but she turned and ran. Leaving me only one choice, to get to the middle of the volcano. I could only hope that a war was not brewing by time I got there. The center of the volcano was where the lava was held, I think.
I started to walk down the tunnel and as I kept going down every now and then a new fire on the wall would light. There was a medal rail thing around it as well as some pretty decoration. In the center of it was the flame, some seemed more blue than the others. I didn’t see how this was meant to test me. There’s just a long hallway to who knows what.
Eventually I came across a place where the tunnel split into two. Something told me to go left and I did. That tunnel soon closed behind me. Looks like there’s no going back. This one had nothing to light my path, the tunnel seemed to narrow and shrink to the point I was crawling and barely going forward. I could feel myself wishing I took the other tunnel but I was also persisting on going forward. If this tunnel was to test me then I needed to show it I wouldn’t back down easily from my choice. Up ahead I could see more light except it wasn’t sunlight it was more fire light but at least I could stand again, though it was still very narrow.
It wasn’t long before the tunnel widened again. I also came to my next obstacle, there was a very narrow bridge; made of rock obviously; below it was a bunch of rock spikes that could kill you if you fall off. Great, I know I told myself I wouldn’t back down now that I chose this tunnel but I don't feel like walking across a rock bridge that looks like it's falling apart just sitting there.
Testing every step before I put full pressure down I slowly made my way across. The odd thing was that there wasn’t even a cracking sound or a missing rock that fell. It looked like the whole thing would fall once pressure was applied. It wasn’t just narrow but very skinny in width as well. I made it across safely and was about to leave when I heard someone say my name.
''Leaf? I know I picked up her scent in the South Middle something or another tunnel.'' The voice was getting close and I could recognize it. Craterday! "I hate these stupid tunnels. So many twists and turns." I could see his shadow now.
"Craterday? Are you coming?" As he came a bit faster now that I called him. I saw him and it didn't look like he was about to slow down even with that bridge there and he didn't completely miss the bridge. I flinched not wanting to see him die. When I look back he was in the middle of it.
"Optical illusion." He shrugs. Continuing to walk to me a calm expression on his face. “ So how’s your adventure so far in this place.” I go over to him and claw him across the ear.
“Why do you have to keep running around and disappearing from our view?” I ask once he shakes off some of the blood from the cut.
“Well you know what more or less happened with my pup hood, lots of times when I was angry I’d go off somewhere to avoid hurting or killing that animal. This was one of those places.” He sits on the illusion and grabs some herbs from his invisible pouch. He starts to prep them, it was an aloe plant so he had to open it to get the interior gel out in order to heal it. How he kept it still fresh, I didn't know. “ Follow me, I’ll lead you to the middle.” He stands up, and leads his way to the next obstacle, which I must say was completely dark. There was absolutely no light not even the shine of a distant one.
“Great, and how are we to get by in this area? I don't suppose you can see in the dark or have memorized the path. May I mention that it’s also most likely not an illusion.” I tell him quite relieved it wasn’t another illusion. I hated the first one. Who needs an illusion to get by something!
“ On the contrary my friend I can see in the dark. It comes from my fathers side, I’m half Demon. It comes with its ups and downs, though most of what I’ve experienced were ups. You may want to stay behind me or lean on me. You’re more or less completely blind.” I was going to take his advice and stay very close. I decided I was going to lean on him and he led me through the darkness. Finally I was able to see light and was about to run ahead. Craterday bit down on my tail as I ran forward.
“Illusion, it drops off to a cliff and you will fall to your death after falling for a very long time.” He warns me. I was starting to get really annoyed with all these illusions. I get it to test me but really?
“In what world does that make sense?” I growled at him. He just shrugged and walked a different way. I stayed by him, still unable to see until we see another light. I was tempted to run ahead but i didn’t want to fall to my death in case it was another one of those trap things.
“ That one's safe to run,” He was unable to finish because I completely ran away from him. I wanted to see light so bad, I completely ditched him due to it. “ I guess that light’s better than the dark?” I turn playfully and roll my eyes. Continuing to the light I soon see a beautiful sight.
There were flowers surrounding the whole outside of the open volcano part. In the middle I could identify some healing plants but not all. If I had to guess that’s where they grew their herbs and other remedies. Hanging on one side there were some of those pouch things that Craterday has to hold his herbs. Pup’s were running around without a care in the world, Tyro’s; as I learned in this world was the word for apprentices; were sharing stories of what they had learned and showing off their skills. Wolve’s were tending the garden and others were talking. There were three dentes into the volcano, one had pups attempting to get their mothers to play with this, another had older wolves talking about I can't tell what, and the last one I couldn’t tell what it was used for.
“Welcome to solem lunam vocat. Meaning that the Sun and the Moon watch over this group and bring them luck. They are the keepers and warners of this place.” Not that I knew what that language was but I have this feeling it's about the sun and the moon.
“Well it’s certainly beautiful but where’s Coil and Stem?” I wanted to know where my other friends had gone or if they didn’t make it through any illusions and well died.
“They should be getting help through it. I’ll explain everything about this place later. If they aren't getting help then I’ll go and find them.” He explains not helping my worries at all. “Look they’ll be fine.” The problem was that he looked like he was trying to reassure himself as well.

It wasn’t till Moon Shine that Stem retired. Coil had come through wet and muddy. He actually looked funny, his eyes showed annoyance and anger. Stem came over to us and seemed a bit off.

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