Chapter 26

Ryer Valley is the most beautiful place I've ever seen on Genesis.

"It's green and purple," I whisper, as Vastian shadows me now off the side of a narrow hanging bridge high up in the air, overlooking the greenest place I've ever seen, "What's that white film in the air?"

"Clouds – or fog this close to the surface," Vastian is taking me to a small outpost, along a path manufactured by Wolf Dominion, "Don't stop simply to stare at the terrain– we don't have time to site see. This is the safest quarter we hold. Come along."

It's steep all around here, but it's full of green moss and purple plants. I've never seen such a landscape; but I instantly fall in love with it.

The Ryer Valley is nestled over mountainous rock – which suddenly opens to a crater full of life. It's massive, if what I'm staring at now is nothing but a quarter.

"How does the green grow near the sky – the sunblast must –"

"It hits the outside – but the inside is spared, the remaining light off the Moon feeds this small biome," Vastian is confident while stalking ahead.

"Where is the war, then?" I ask.

"In the middle."

"How do we get to the middle?" I'm confused; until of course, we round a small rocky outlet to find a hidden passage way into a small cave.

Vastian slips through the mossy crack and holds out a hand when I hesitate.

I reach forward and our finger tips brush, but he doesn't grasp a hold of my hand, he simply slips further in and I have to hurry to keep contact of our finger tips.

Vastian flips a light – and a small cavern lights up with Solividian gold, and two beds.

"Take a nap with me," Vastian sits on his stretcher and waits for me to sit on the opposing bed.

"We Transcend?" I ask.

"Yes – we all will," Vastian nods, "You will Transcend into Xrat for a time to find the humans – use his nose to smell them out. Then you'll awaken and go by foot, preferably when the fighting is most intense. You'll be less of a target as you go around the edge."

"That doesn't make any sense," I whisper.

"The Feline eyes will be focused on our Zrot Company I can assure you of that," Vastian smiles at how ignorant I am, as he lies back to sleep, and he waits for me to copy, "Follow my lead and do as I say, Ryder."

"Ok?" I lie down and stare at the ceiling.

"Close your eyes; don't respond, just do it," Vastian breathes deeply, "Think of the Moon's blue glow… think of your Beasts' eyes… now picture your hands…"

Already, as I picture the moon, I can then think of Xrat's ethereal blue and yellow glare – glaring at me. When I think of my hands? I see my paws.

Xrat seems to lick my brain – it's the most odd sensation.

"…release…" it's Vastian's last word – and somehow, I feel that tether to my own physical form, tied to my being, I feel it's force inside me. I release it with an exhale – and then I'm Transcending immediately into my Wolf Beast.

****

Amongst giants.

Xrat is like a flea compared to the hulking Zrot company around us. Xrat sits on mound of black dirt in a dark cavern, his hind leg reaching up, scratching behind my ear – and at my neck.

A heavy collar scratches against our skin and it's irritating.

A scarring rip through the air is the only warning to our eardrums as a snarling welcome is thrown our way.

Xrat turns to see two front black legs, towering next to us. The bared teeth of Rrot – Raygar is already within, as he simply stares us down like an easy meal.

Would Wolf Kind eat Wolf Kind?

To be honest, I didn't doubt it for a second.

Any kind of violence on Genesis was welcomed, celebrated and even encouraged.

Rrot's menacing salivating and murderous grin is only interrupted by a loud growl as he's shoved out of the way by the silver wolf above, causing the ground to rumble.

Zrot licks his tongue over our head – marking us with a disgusting wet feeling all over.

We shake it off and roll onto our backs in a sign of submission that even I can't stop.

Zrot prances off in delight and leads first out of the cavern, Rrot close behind, Mzzry already gone.

The other ten Alpha's run through the gap of the cavern, in medium sized wolves, half the size of Skye's family.

I stay on my back until I spot a yellow and blue eye in the dark, and my tail starts wagging uncontrollably.

F-father?

That's what it felt like.

This fresh bond.

But while my biological father was dead – Xrat's father was alive.

I get a rush of a bond, that has me running up to Vorth, the greying white wolf with blue markings all over, a splotchy blue mark on his head, covering an eye and a black tipped tail – just like Xrat. The only difference was Vorth's patience compared to Xrat's extreme and hyper excitement.

I can't control his desire to run around Vorth's paws, butt wiggling like mad as we lick the claws of the older father figure. Xrat whines in excitement and Vorth paws him away, snorting out a cloud of cold air.

Vorth keeps his front leg raised, and lowers his head, eyes focused forward.

Lead. Go now.

Listen to me, I bark at Xrat and take control of his Beast, I lead us now. We smell for dwelling Human Kind.

The Human Kind that would be enslaved to the Felines.

Would they be in the war, on the field?

I had no idea!

I wasn't clear on Skye's orders beyond ; find your Kind and bring them back to Wolf Dominion.

Ok?

I would first have to locate them.

So, outside the cavern, we begin our run.

Vastian remains in control of Vorth, behind us, limping slow and disappearing into the fog – as we run ahead.

It is within the depth of a huge biome, where an hour or so passes, as we run without contact of any other animal.

The Ryer Valley is soft under our paws and cool through our skin. This 'war' is pleasant so far.

Our nose brushes through the dirt and I already smell sweat and urine off dirty kept beings far away. Human Kind were treated so poorly and smelt very bad because of their unmanaged hygiene.

The thought of providing them with beds, food and fresh water in the Wolf Dominion was suddenly propelling me forward, even despite the sudden snarling and clashing of Beasts further within the Valley.

Somehow, I knew to keep to the outskirts.

Until, eventually, Xrat and I have to suddenly halt.

The dirt was sweet and calm – but now, beyond this invisible line in the crater's growth, our nostrils twitch and flare.

A strange toxic smell – Cat spray from large Beasts.

Xrat takes over while I'm confused, and he slowly paws forward, careful not to make a sound as we keep our head and shoulders low. We move silently.

Just ahead through the purple plants – a shadow rushes forward.

Thankfully not toward us, but down the hill toward the middle.

A black leopard.

Followed by an orange tiger.

Followed by a dusky lioness.

I'm frozen still, as I watch the gigantic beasts rush down the hill, claws extended.

These beasts are still not as large as Zrot Company – but they've got bigger teeth and claws, and they're more lithe on their large paws, with flexible joints.

Somehow, we are indeed, completely overlooked – and I find Xrat running up the path, toward the outward edge where they had come from.

Outside of danger, we roam – but eventually, I hear a loud but deep yelp echo from behind me.

Xrat and I spin to see Vorth's injured hind leg in the jaws of another leopard.

Around him, two tigers and a second leopard stalk forward from the fog. They're smaller recruits, but they're confident that Vorth will be the meal – despite his gigantic size all on his own.

But that's the thing.

He's very old.

He's very slow.

And he's ripping them to pieces within the next few seconds.

Xrat and I almost instantly get washed in blood as Vorth's jaws tear through the leopard on his leg, munching the head clean in half and throwing the body into the others.

Before they can retreat, Vorth is twirling, stamping one into the ground, while he grabs the other two tails in his snappy jaws, lifting them up and growling out a laugh of victory as he demolishes the Feline Beasts with his next fatal few bites.

Xrat watches, interested and proud, while I retreat briefly into my human mind again – almost about to retreat back out of Transcendence.

But my nose twitches.

Sweat.

Urine.

Closer as the wind changes briefly.

Xrat spins and I'm suddenly in control again as we head along the path, and Vorth follows, jaw dripping blood, hind leg unable to land a single pace but his sight is always upon us.

Up at the top of this Valley, is the edge of the Mountain facing the Moon.

Xrat jumps onto the rock changing colours from grey to dull yellow, and over the edge I see one single human.

One.

Very small.

It's a little girl, gnawing on a bone with dried up meat, she must be only six or less. One of her legs is twisted cruelly, as if she's been thrown by a Beast to be maimed on purpose.

Xrat lowers to the ground and whines a friendly noise at her – even as she focuses on the pup and throws rocks around her at his head. Eventually she freezes when the pup doesn't move in forward to hurt her.

Keep her here, I tell Xrat.

And then I wake up.

It was time to retrieve my first Human.

****

I am desperate to help this little girl – as I run through the Valley over the edges, I brave the Moon for two hours, even as it's reflected light burns my skin. I run all the way around to the edge until I see Xrat circling around the girl, who's crying dry tears as she holds up her bone to defend herself.

Vorth isn't anywhere to be seen, but I know he is protecting our location from afar, probably patrolling.

"Hey!" I hiss as I climb over some sharp rocks and jump down next to the girl, "Don't be scared –" I hold out an exhausted hand as I fall to my knees next to her.

She's far too scared to talk back to me, but she freezes and remains still, retracting a small arm into her side and her tattered oversized stolen shirt, the bone close to her, still defending herself, "I'm going to help you, girl, take my hand –" I reach for her hand, and she actually takes it.

I grin as I haul her up, preparing to pick her up and carry her back as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, I forget the rabid nature of my kind while I am exhausted from the trek.

She was starving and in survival mode. She did not care about friends.

When she's close to my body, the girl stabs at my ribs and manages to puncture my skin.

I scream in pain as I stumble back, holding a hand over my mouth from the loud wail I just let loose.

Xrat growls at the girl, but as I drop her she lies on her side and she can't move, even as her wild eyes hold the bone up again, ready to attack.

"Away," she croaks at me, "Stay away from me – you fucking traitor."

She's got a mouth on her.

I can't help myself.

I came all this fucking way.

I kick the bone out of her hand and I snarl down at the little girl, "I might be a fucking traitor but at least I'm fucking alive!" I spit it in her screwed up face, but as she's now left defenceless, she suddenly succumbs to her debilitating state of dehydration.

I haul her up but she's heavy, especially with my wound.

Xrat rubs into my side and waits with his back available.

"Good idea," I lie her across his back and I take the lead, "Follow me."

My scream has drawn attention to our spot, so we need to move quickly.

On the trek back, I notice how the obstacle training helped me move a lot quicker.

Even when I heard crumbling rocks or the vibrating earth – I would stop and wait for the threats to pass by.

So would Xrat, obedient by my side.

Somehow, someway – we make it back alive the first day.

I also have my first human to prove my loyalty to Wolf Dominion.

If I can convince the little stabbing terror to obey.

As I was soon to learn, that would be the main problem.