Wolves and Demons- Chapter 1: The First Battle

Author's Note: I will not be publishing the rest of the chapters.

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A cold wind rustled the leaves, sending several fluttering to the icy ground. A Pack of wolves stood together, crouched down, ears pricked, and sharp eyes scanning for their enemies. There were ten wolves in total. At the front of the Pack stood two wolves, one dark grey, the other black; they were Pack Alpha and Beta, the highest Ranked wolves. Behind them was the Pack Commander, the wolf that organized all the planned attacks. This wolf was Ranked third. The rest of the wolves were of the same Rank, besides the Yearlings and Elders.

Shadowsong was a newly turned Yearling, which meant she was now allowed to attend all Pack hunts and battles. Beside her stood Nightmane, a grey-brown male, who was also her brother. She tried to tare her gaze away from the open area before her, where the Demons were suppose to be hiding, so that she could see his expression. But she was so intent on her first time at seeing a Demon, she couldn't bring herself to do it.

Up ahead, she saw Stonefang's tail twitch, telling them to prepare themselves. He must have seen something. Fadedwhisper, who stood next to him, took a step forward, and Shadowsong heard her sniffing the cold air. She hastily stepped back, her ears flicking warningly.

Shadowsong flinched, her heart pounding, and bent down lower to the ground; she could feel the ice-caked grass on her belly fur. A wave of fear scent pounded against her nose and she realized that Nightmane was shaking, whining softly. She pressed herself against him comfortingly and he instantly stopped shaking, but she could still smell his nervousness and hesitation.

A sudden orange light burned in clearing in front of the Pack, and Shadowsong heard someone behind her yelp in surprise.

Her eyes widened and curiosity danced with the anxiety in the pit of her stomach. Was this what a Demon was? A large beam of light? No. She remembered when her Packmates would return from a battle after fighting the Demons when she was a cub, and along with the burned fur, they also had bite makrs. She felt Nightmane shift beside her and pressed harder against him, although she wasn't feeling as confident as she had before about the Demons. She had fantasized about them many times as a young pup, but she now realized that they were going to be nothing like she had imagined.

Stonefang let out low growl, his body rigid, muscles tense. Fadedwhisper joined him in a much louder tone. They were challenging the Demons to show themselves, daring them to fight the Pack, which now had two more members that were allowed to fight.

All around her, Shadowsong heard more growls echo through the night. The sound soothed her and made her feel protected. She felt at peace with the fact that every single wolf in her Pack would give their life for her's. She felt at peace with the fact that they were defend her, and she would defend them. Her heart beat slowed and she blinked slowly, calmly. She parted her jaws slightly and let a snarl escape her own muzzle, matching the rhythm of her Pack.

Nightmane seemed to have gotten the same feeling of protection as she, because he pulled himself away from her gently and released a growl of his own, strong and powerful.

Stonefang and Fadedwhisper stepped as one, still snarling, coming out of the bushes that hid them. Everyone followed, spreading out and taking an assigned spot that had been taught to them from the very beginning. Shadowsong and Nightmane stood near the center, while the stronger, more experienced wolves stood at the sides.

Just as the whole Pack made its way out of the bushes, more orange light appeared, blaring dangerously and getting closer.

Shadowsong bristled and felt everyone do the same.

A figure came into view, sending waves of uncontrollable fear through Shadowsong. And she knew it was a Demon right when she saw it.

The Demon seemed to be on fire. Its very pelt blazed, leaving rough patches of what looked like rock, untouched by fire all along its body. It stood just like a wolf, but didn't have a tail. It was much smaller than a full grown wolf, and its muscles were barely noticeable. It had a long muzzle with fire lips that weren't long enough to cover the rock fangs. Its blazing ears were large, tipped with stone. The ground beneath it burned, despite the cold, and sent up large puffs of smoke into the sky.

Shadowsong cowered, her growl diminishing into a small whimper.

“Have courage, Yearlings!” Fadedwhisper barked through a snarl towards the lone Demon.

Shadowsong let out a ragged breath and glanced at Nightmane. Although his eyes were consumed with fear, he nodded slowly and straightened. She watched as his tail rose and his whole demeanor changed. Her heart leaped with strength, and grew with admiration for her brother. So she followed his lead and stood, staring the Demons right in the eyes, daring it to attack.

“Where's your Pack, Ozarak?” Stonefang snarled, stepping forward fearlessly. “Are they frighten-ed?” The Alpha's eyes blazed just as the Demon's did, but with power and a sureness that they would win, not with fire.

Shadowsong shuttered as the Demon spoke, its voice harsh and raw, as though it had never been used.

“Why don't you look behind you, Alpha?” the Demon sneered, lips curling.

No one moved.

“Petty tricks will not save you, coward,” Fadedwhisper spat, stepping up beside her mate.

“As I recall, shewolf,” it growled, “last time we fought, my Pack had you on the run.”

Fadedwhisper let out a snarl of outrage, and for a moment Shadowsong thought that she would lunge at the Demon, but she staid where she was.

“Then your mind obviously isn't cut out for remembering things,” snapped a voice smartly.

Shadowsong looked to her right at Fangsong, a red-ish brown female who took the Rank of Pack Commander.

The Demon's gaze flicked to her, shifting its weight dangerously on its stubby legs. “I do hope you die first, wolf-with-the-mouth-that-couldn't-stop-saying-dumb-things.”

And just as the words left his mouth, more fire beamed into view. More Demons emerged, looking just as disgusting and terrifying as the first. They all stood in formation behind their leader, creating great amounts of fire. They easily out numbered the wolves.

Shadowsong felt like she was on the verge of crying aloud with fear.

“Steady, young one,” Fadedwhisper woofed softly, not bothering to look back at the Yearling. “They're not as tough as they look. Remember, you're bigger than they are. Just don't let that get you cocky. They are wily creatures.”

Shadowsong tried to take her Beta's words to heart so that she could feel calmness again, but it seemed like the Demons radiated fear. She shook violently, swallowing hard, but when the Alpha Demon met her gaze, she froze. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't move. She tried to make a sound, but failed terribly. And to her horror, a slow, sly smile crept upon the Demons lips. He then looked away.

Shadowsong gasped for air, shaking harder than ever. She couldn't do this. Not now that she had been singled out. She glanced at Fangsong, and was amazed at how calm she was. She had been given a death wish and didn't even consider being afraid! Would she, Shadowsong, ever be that brave? That sure of herself? That powerful?

“Attack!” the leader Demon screeched abruptly, and they all charged as one toward the Pack.

Stonefang howled and the Pack met the Demons halfway in a battle of snarls and yelps of pain.

Shadowsong cowered amongst the fighting bodies, watching blood stain the grass and smelling the scent of burning fur. If she had been paying attention, she would have noticed the Alpha Demon racing towards her, if she had been paying attention, she might have been able to dodge its attack. But she wasn't, and she found herself flung onto the ground with a snarling Demon standing over her.

Shadowsong squealed, struggling to brake free. Her muscles burned with retaliation, but her fear would not allow her to give in. She screamed as the Demon's fangs neared and his eyes shone in a way that suggested he was going to enjoy killing her. His jaws parted, breathing foul breath into her nose. And with a snarl of triumph, his teeth touched the flesh of her neck.

But that was all they did before he flew off her, pinned to the ground by a Pack wolf.

Shadowsong scrambled to her feet and stared at her savior.

It was Willowcry. She was Fangsong's mother, but she was also the strongest, and largest, wolf in the Pack. Her pelt was slightly darker than her daughter's, and her comebacks stung even worse, but she was also nearing the age of becoming an Elder. Which would lower her status slightly within the Pack, but she would always been Shadowsong's favorite.

The Alpha Demon roared in agony as Willowcry sunk her teeth into his paw and yanked back.

A sharp, stomach churning rip made Shadowsong fall back on her haunches. She shut her eyes tight and looked away. The Demon cried out again as another tare made her cringe miserably.

“Don't kill the leader, Willowcry!” Fadedwhisper called from a good ways away.

Shadowsong opened her eyes and slowly looked to Willowcry, who still had the Alpha Demon pushed against the ground. She saw two detached paws next to them, a hot, orange liquid pouring out of them that contained bits of what looked like rock. She stared at them for a moment longer before turning back to Willowcry. She gave one last snarl in the Demon's pain-twisted face and stepped off of it, charging back into the ongoing battle.

Shadowsong stared down at the Alpha Demon. It wailed in agony at its missing front paws. More of the orange liquid surrounded it. She didn't know how she should feel. Should she feel sorry for it? Or should she feel like this was a victory already? Well, she obviously still felt scared, and she wasn't ashamed to admit it; this was her very first fight, she was bound to feel nervous. But she should take pity on her opponents? Should she feel bad about hurting them? Was it wrong to crave your enemies' pain and want revenge?

“Shadowsong!”

She was snapped out of her thoughts by a bark from Stonefang. She looked up at the dark grey Alpha. She tried to answer him, but the words wouldn't form in her mouth.

Stonefang delivered a killing bite to a Demon he had pinned to the ground before he turned to her again, woofing, “Fight along with your Pack, Yearling. You have been honored with the privilege to do so, do not disown it.” And without waiting for a “yes” or even a nod saying that she would obey him, he resumed fighting.

He was right, and Shadowsong knew it. She had been give the honor to fight with her Pack against evil. She shouldn't be afraid. She shouldn't cower. They would always protect her, just like Willowcry had. So she lifted her hackles, baring her teeth, and lifted her tail. She would not be known as the wolf who couldn't defend her Pack.

Shadowsong sprang onto the closest Demon, rolling with it in the slick grass. Her paws burned because of the fire, but she wouldn't allow herself to give in. She snarled as the Demon's teeth grazed her chest, creating the slightest gash. And after a small scuffle, they parted, breathing heavily.

“Come on, baby wolf,” it gasped with a growl. “Show me what you can do.”

Shadowsong scanned her mind for something Fangsong or Willowcry might say. “Come on, huh, dumb-face!” she shouted back. “I bet you can't take me on!”

The Demon's fiery eyebrows furrowed.

Shadowsong felt her face heat as she realized what she said had been really idiotic.

Then the Demon grinned darkly. “I hope you can at least fight better than you can at making insults.” It lunged, rock teeth flashing.

Shadowsong jumped to the side, avoiding the Demon narrowly, but she landed on her foot wrong. And crashed to the ground clumsily.

The Demon noticed her mistake right away and pounced on her, fangs ripping at her shoulders.

Shadowsong screamed, claws digging into the hard ground. Without thinking, she rolled over, slamming the Demon into the dirt. It yowled and stopped trying to hurt her, but she didn't let it up. She lifted herself up slightly and threw herself down again, smashing its body. And after a couple more of these actions, she heard a loud crack. She got off of the Demon.

The Demon moaned as more of that orange liquid pooled around it. One of its hind legs was twisted awkwardly, but it hadn't been torn so as to explain the liquid.

Shadowsong circled it and saw that it had a long rip down its back; that must have been where most of the pressure was going when she had been on top of it. She stopped circling, standing right next to its head, which was snapping at her hopelessly. Now what? She couldn't remember anything she had been taught by Fangsong, the one who was in charge of training young wolves to be able to handle their selves in battle. Should she finish the Demon off, or just continue on to the next one?

A familiar cry pierced the air and Shadowsong whirled around, heart pounding. Nightmane was on his back, fighting for his life with a large Demon on top of him.

Shadowsong snarled, bounding towards them. She clawed the Demon in the side of the face, feeling its fire scorch her paw and burn her fur. The Demon fell off of Nightmane, but recovered quickly and jumped for Shadowsong with a roar. Shadowsong reared up, eyes blazing, and knocked the Demon to the left, causing it to skid across the ground.

Nightmane was now on his feet next to her, his chest and stomach glistening with blood. He heaved in air, tongue lolling out.

Shadowsong snarled as the Demon climbed to its paws. She put herself between the Demon and her brother, tensing all the muscles in her body so that she could react to any movement the Demon might make to hurt them.

“I wasn't finished with him, shewolf.” the Demon growled angrily. “Now step aside, I'll get to you later.”

“No one hurts my Packmates!” Shadowsong seethed, fury and thrill beating in her heart.

“Fine.”

The Demon turned slightly and ran his claws through the dirt, throwing it up and towards the two wolves.

Shadowsong squealed in anger and surprise as the dirt hit her in the eyes. She shut them tightly and leaped blindly in the general direction of the Demon. But she found nothing but thin air and ended up landing on her face, gathering even more dirt. She roared into the ground and straightened, eyes still shut. Just as she lifted her paw to clean her face, she heard Nightmane yowl in agony. She had to get this dirt off! She pawed at her face desperately until she dared to open her eyes again. They were sore and very dry, but she didn't care. Now that she could see, she had to help Nightmane.

But when she spun around, she saw that Hiddenclaw, a brown and white male, Ranked as a Hunter, had beaten her to it. He had his teeth in the Demon's back, shaking it around. She watched as Hiddenclaw then threw the Demon to the ground and killed. He turned and noticed her. He gave a nod and left.

Shadowsong stared after him, amazed. Would she ever fight like that? Would she ever have such strength? Then she remembered her brother.

Nightmane was still on the ground, whimpering softly. His eyes were dull.

“Nightmane?” she whispered, crouching down beside him and nudging him softly. His blood already strained her pelt. He smelled different. “Say something,” she begged, her voice quavering.

He didn't seem to be breathing and his body was limp. He wouldn't speak.

Shadowsong tore her gaze away from her brother's mangled body, and noticed for the first time that the Demons were waning. Their numbers were small and several of them were retreating. She searched for her Pack and she called out to the first wolf she saw.

“Willowcry!” she screamed, chocking as only half of the word left her mouth, making it not even sound like a name, but a broken wail of grief.

But Willowcry had heard her nonetheless, and looked to see what was wrong. She didn't even hesitate when she saw Nightmane on the ground. Willowcry was beside Shadowsong in a instant, eyes wide.

“Nightmane,” Willowcry barked firmly, but kindly. She sniffed his body. “Get up, Yearling. You can do it.”

Nightmane didn't even look like he had heard her.

A new scent reached Shadowsong's nose, but she was so caught up with fear and worry to be able to tell who it was.

“Shadowsong,” Stonefang's voice whispered. Another scent was now next to him. “Can you follow Fadedwhisper? I think it's best if you leave him now.”

Shadowsong shook her head, unable to speak. She pushed herself into Nightmane's matted fur. He felt cold. She breathed in his scent, allowing it to fill her lunges and bring comfort to her. She was not going to leave his side, especially not now—not when he needed her most.

She felt a gentle tug on her shoulder and snarl erupted from her muzzle.

She suddenly found her voice again and screamed, “Go away!” Her hackles lifted and her teeth were bared again. “If you're not go to help him like a Pack should, then just leave!” She stared at all of them, fury and hate burning inside her.

The whole Pack now surrounded them.

Stonefang and Fadedwhisper exchanged a glance.

“I know you're upset,” Fadedwhisper woofed softly, “but he's gone. And there's nothing anyone can do. You fought bravely to defend him, but the Demon was cunning.”

Shadowsong lunged, snapping the air just in front of the Beta's muzzle, cutting the attack short deliberately. “Back. Off.” The words hissed out of her mouth, lethal and dangerous. “He's not dead, he's just hurt. And I can help him!”

She then found herself on the ground, Fangsong's snarling teeth in her face. “Control yourself, Yearling!” she shouted, her claws digging into Shadowsong's pelt. “No matter how much you miss your brother, no matter how unfair is it, you never attack or give an order to your Beta.”

“It's okay, Fangsong,” Fadedwhisper told the Commander softly. “Release Shadowsong.”

Fangsong hesitated.

Shadowsong growled furiously, feeling strength rush into her muscles as she tried to get up. She wriggled and squirmed, fought and yowled, but Willowcry's power had obviously been passed down to Fangsong. Shadowsong couldn't even move the shewolf an inch. Still angry, but slightly calmer, she stopped trying to escape.

Fangsong snorted loudly and stepped off Shadowsong, but eyed her warily.

Shadowsong slowly got to her feet, her head clearing. She looked down at Nightmane, the only trace of her bloodline left. Their mother had died giving birth to them, and none of the male wolves in the Pack had claimed to be their father. Everyone thought that her father was either just some loner, or a wolf from another Pack.

And Shadowsong still hadn't decided which one was worse.