Lapping Flames; A POSP Story.

**Author's Note:**

*You can find all the characters Here* [1]

Chapter 1

Morning comes slowly. The air is like sugar, crisp and sweet. Many wolves pour out of their dens, gathering at the base of the Thrones, a creamy white and brown wolf placed on the higher throne. A white and brown wolf joins him. "Are we all here?" Her soft voice is that of a mothers, yet hard and commanding. Welcome to our home of the loyal and brave, the home of the leaders and the powerful, the home of the Shadowed Paws.

The Sovereign speaks, a black and brown wolf nearest to the throne. "We have been detecting sightings of wolves hunting on our territory and prey is growing short." He pauses, but picks back up again. "Apollo, Onyx, Jet, Azul, Ballad. Border patrols, report back to me if you see anything, but do not engage until I know of this trespasser." The brown and black female remains at the base, awaiting her command. "Arya, you may organize the patrols while I discuss something with Jenna."

"Ok! We're gonna need Koi, Top'ko, Echo, you guys cover hunting for today in the southeast of our territory, where wolves haven't been sighted. Chessa, pup duty." Arya nudges the pups to Chessa, and they all go wild. Distant yelps and howls can be heard "Hey! that's mine", "Amethyst don't touch my clean fur!", "Pups! Out of the mud!". Top'ko snorts under her breath and she can't help but break out in boisterous laughter. Koi smiles peacefully and speaks "Let's go hunt, we don't have lots of food at the moment." They trail out of camp with the large patrol, breaking off in the forest.

"Ok, Top'ko, cover the back of that elk. Echo and me will hang to the sides." The cream and grey wolf nods. So does the brown and grey. They begin to creep to the elk when something rustles in the bushes. Top'ko falls stiff as a chipmunk pops out. She exhales as Koi and Echo vibrate in laughter that is held in. Koi starts the chase for the elk and Top'ko and Echo flank him close behind. Koi and Echo pursue while Top'ko pushes the back. All 3 wolves squeeze in, Koi and Echo gripping the sides while Top'ko seizes it's hind leg. The elk being tripped it falls down and Echo lashes her canines around it's throat, ending the struggle.

They walk back to camp, dragging the elk alongside them. As they look around, they see Constellation at their paws. Echo blinks "Is something wrong, little one?" She nods and leads them into camp farther. Top'ko gasps at the scene while Koi looks away and Echo shields the pup's eyes.

Chapter 2

Blood. Everywhere. Clouds fog the sky, 2 wolves lay dead on the ground and Makani cries. "It's my fault! I didn't get Cole fast enough!" One of the bodies is that of Ballad. Syra cries over his body. "Why do my friend have to leave! I'll *kill* the wolf that did this." She growls and cries at the sky. Onyx lays down, blood and puss flooding the ground around her as Top'ko and Echo rush to her as she lifts her head. Top'ko screams, tears flooding down her face "Cole! Onyx Is Critical!" Cole rushes over as he yells "Some wolf get me yarrow, poppy seed, aloe, feverfew, and cobwebs!" He presses a paw to the biggest wound to stop the bleeding.

Makani appears with the herbs as Cole chews the aloe and yarrow into a poultice and applies it to the wounds, his paw smoothing over them gently, trying not to cause pain. Onyx moans "Cole, it hurts." He responds "I know." After the poultice is rubbed on, he wraps the wounds in cobwebs and makes her eat feverfew and poppyseeds. Cole calls "Someone bring her to her den!" He walks off as Vapor and Celsius lift Onyx and bring her to her den.

Koi approaches Nyx and Jenna and barks "What happened?!"

Jenna returns in a stern voice "We have no idea, before Ballad died he murmured something about 'Cloaked Wolves'. We have no idea what that's supposed to mean."

Nyx interjects "We don't know if it's some form of draco or not. We'll be seizing all patrols with small numbers, you're lucky you made it out with no injuries."

"Oh, this is bad. Where's Kani? I didn't see her last night or today." Koi Questions.

Nyx returns solemnly "Do you know what this could mean?"

"Dead."

"Exactly."

"But how?" Jenna whispers

"Hmm?"

"How is she dead?"

Koi steps back into the horrific and gory scene, less wolves are there, but blood and clear fluid soaks into the ground. The dead wolves are gone. Syra bumps into Koi "S..Sorry."

He nods as Top'ko approaches "How'd it go?"

"Kani's dead."

"Oh, it's a shame, I never really knew her."

Echo, Vapor, Airis, Celsius, Jet And Apollo Approach. All of them are battered and frozen in shock from the commotion of the mysterious occurrence. Blood seeps from Apollo's shoulder, paw, and eye as Jet leans on Apollo, her leg broken. All of the wolves are solemn and beaten down, their faces either wet or bloody, or both.

A flame consumes the central exit as a black wolf stands behind it with an abnormally large and crooked smile as it wisps into the air in a large black puff.

Chapter 3

The pack stares in shock as the flames grow bigger. The black wolf, The disappearance of Kani, the massacre of the patrol, most likely linked. Everything feels gone. Dark thoughts surround Jet *What's it worth? living anymore.*

*No, don't think like that*

 Jet shakes her head as the flames grow bigger, and bigger, and bigger until they are at least 3 times the size of the wolves. Arya runs to get the pups as the group begins to separate, running to help the injured wolves. A tree is struck down by flames and crushes Jenna's legs and she screams for help as blood leaks from the tree, her legs flattened by the pressure of the fallen tree. Jet howls "We need to get the tree off of Jenna! Someone help!"

Vapor, Airis, Apollo, And Echo run to help their fallen sovereign. The wolves push as hard as they can, their robust muscles screaming as they pull and push the tree, two on each side. A crackling sound emerges as the tree rolls off of Jenna's legs, crushing the bones farther then they were.

Screams echo around the camp. Raging flames destroy everything in sight as wolves swarm everywhere, injured wolves are carried by their comrades as Nyx yells above the commotion "Evac to the river! We'll solve this later!".

Wolves gathered their belongings, some big, some small. Apollo grabs a broken spiked collar, Nyx takes a chip of his den, Top'ko grabs a glinting tailpeice, Arya grabs Amethyst, the flame continues. Echo yelps, dropping her artifact into the flames as her leg is mildly burned. She limps to the exit with the others.

Wolves begin flooding to the river path after their business is done. Pups are held in their caretaker's mouth to avoid from being trampled as the injured are rushed out first, Jenna between Vapor and Echo. Flames crackle and the grass turns black and wilts as the thrones go up in flames and dens crumble. Tears streamed down Apollo, Syra, Onyx And Echo's Face. Their home was gone.

Chapter 4

After grueling, treacherous, painful, and dense treks through burning wood and wet, distraught muddy paths with brambles and sharp, protruding limbs of trees, a break in the hellish path was discovered. The path opened up into a marsh like clearing, though there was no mud, only tall, yellowed grass that was hard and rooted. Onyx moaned as she was carried through the undergrowth, stray blades of the tall grass stabbing her open wounds, destroying the cobwebs that held blood inside her body. The pack's faces were monolithic as they trekked through the brush and horrid conditions. To the pack, every step was like being struck down with a thousand jagged rocks that never stopped coming. The climate was dastardly, cold rain falling as the Paws broke out in feverish sweats that caused fatigue. Jenna was supported by three wolves, her face jagged and pallid as pain coursed through her flattened and crushed legs, sanguine fluid staining the path to the river. The marsh like biome seemed endless, eyelids drooped and spirits were black with hopelessness. Nyx trudged on, though, his snout facing forward, hoping, only hoping, that this hell would end. His eyes were dull, but showed promise that life could get better. Fur whipping and tangled in the wind, he remained silent and stopped, his jowls opening to scent the air. "Almost here"

Wolves sighed in heavy relief and broke out in angelic howls to the black and navy night sky, stars dappling the void of space that it lead into, harboring multiple planets. It was almost done, they were almost to the haven, the river. Wolves began to walk faster until an emerald meadow faded into the marsh. A cool, soft breeze flowed through their wet and matted fur. Joy could be heard in the soft murmurs of wolves. Koi held his head up to the sky, the world shrouded in immense darkness, but the Paws didn't give one worry to it. The marsh was over, the woods was over, the river was near. The grass of the meadow, soft and green, provided comfort to their sore and heavy steps. The sick wolves inhaled the cleansed air, relieved of the stabbing grasses. The journey continued until orange and silky daylight broke the horizon.

Arriving at a green and blue river, its water lapping at the shore of the brown sandy banks, it's waters shimmering, fish leaping from the waves. The trees around it were lush and tinder, fall tinting the leaves golden hues of orange and red, with the occasional yellow, harboring birds and squirrels that raced along their perches in the canopy. The ground was green and yellow, the grass both soft and crunchy. Moss littered the trees, pale and green as ever. Finally, the silence broke, Nyx had commands "Ok paws! We've arrived! Gather your bedding supplies, Top'ko and Vapor will set up the pups. Jenna, you get the hunting patrols. Cole, Makani, tend to the sick wolves. Got it?"

The paws echo back in triumph, their voices calm and filled with fatigue. "Got it."

Wolves swarm around gathering moss and feathers, Echo and Jenna are carried to Cole for new herbs, their bodies filled with pain, but minds hopeful. Though Ballad and countless other wolves were dead, their home destroyed, nobody thought of it. They were too comforted by the river that no thoughts of the previous happening could infect their minds.

The worst was yet to come.