Several days passed since the pack took refuge. Snow storms impacted the temple, making it nearly impossible to leave without becoming a wolfsicle. Swillow told her pack that that wasn't a main concern, and joked that she'd be cherry flavored if she froze. But she was outvoted two to two... Wait, how the hell did she get outvoted?

Regardless, Swillow walked down a flight of marble steps into a chamber. Snofall was sitting, facing a statue of a hyena. Purple paint flaked off the hyena's coat, with yellow highlighting the hairs on the tail and paws. Inscriptions scrawled the walls, all in ancient Draconian. "Ever since we got here, all you've done is examine that hyena."

"I want to know why this statue is out here instead of at Hyenkayd. This is depicting one of the leaders of the Hyena versus Dragons war."

Swillow knew that dragons hadn't wandered Vytyl for centuries, or perhaps a millenia. At least, she's never seen one before."I think I can tell who won that."

"Surprisingly, it was the hyenas. The hyenas used to own the Decay. Well, they still do, but the Decay was lush until it dried up. The hyenas went after the dragons to take their lands, and while the dragons crushed the individuals, the pack mentality was too strong. Dragons are naturally loners, so they don't live in big packs."

"Same with wolves, but that doesn't stop mutant coalitions like Canida from forming. Wolves are supposed to live in packs with their mother, father, and children."

"Regardless, creatures like Hyenas have strict hierarchies. It was no surprise that they overwhelmed the dragon armies. Dragons need a lot of land, so Drakayd is spread out over thousands of miles, and at its peak lived a few hundred dragons. Maybe a thousand."

"So basically attrition versus power," Swillow said, nodding. "I can understand that. I wouldn't want to be on the power end. Except if I was a dragon. But the place looks like a wreck to me. That's partly why they're attacking, because they're land sucks a lot. It's mostly hard and rocky terrain. They grow olives, and not much else because of the lack of soil."

"It wasn't always that way supposedly. According to folk tales and legends, the Creator of Earth, which was one of the biggest and strongest dragons, stopped the war. She rose the hills surrounding Drakayd until they stood thousands of feet tall. This crushed the land and rendered it as dead as the Decay."

"You see, that's why I'm sympathetic towards the hyena cause in this invasion," Swillow said.

"I mean, they take care of their own, don't they? They don't live outside their means, and they're only trying to improve their situations. So, who's the hyena lady?"

"That would be Vycious, Swillow." Swillow tilted her head, as if doubting the name. "Hyenas took up scarier names during the war. Tradition hasn't gone away, and it reinvigorated when Hyenkayd hyenas fought against the Decay hyenas."

"If they came from the same place, why did they split up? I mean, this is the most important question to our existences. Wasting is motivated right now to get to Decay because they started fighting Hyenkayd."

"Lot of ideological differences happened. Vycious disappeared as hyenas tried flooding both Decay and Hyenkayd. Nobody knows why she went away. Claims are that she died in combat, while some think she's still wandering around to this day."

"That sounds doubtful," Swillow said. "They've been fighting for who knows how long? The Canine Civil War only lasted a few years. I was born right after that, actually."

It was shocking how only a few wars changed the landscape politically and geologically. The hyenas wouldn't have split had they not attacked the dragons.

"No matter what happened, she wasn't that bad. She did a lot of good for the hyenas, something most leaders lack to do. Vycious took hard options during hard times, while taking care of a poisoned land at the same time. So that has to be worth something." Swillow came closer to read more of the inscriptions in the room, but Snofall edged away from her.

Swillow decided to inch towards the fox casually. This resulted in Snofall moving farther. Was she simply not wanting to get crushed by Swillow? No, she figured it may have had something to do with her admitting to murder. Swillow never gave details, despite Snofall pressing her to.

"Can't imagine why somebody would hold a grudge against somebody so long, or have a problem with something somebody did in the past. That's why I don't get the problem between the hyena packs and why they still fight." Maybe that would subconsciously urge Snofall to talk.

Citrus came into the room. Way to break the mood. "Swillow, your brother wants to talk. If I may Snofall, can I speak with you?"

Swillow brushed past Citrus, knowing that she wanted to talk to Snofall for a reason. So she camped out at the turn of the corridor. The place echoed, so she'd hear what Citrus would say.

Snofall began by saying, "Swillow said she doesn't believe in holding grudges. Sounds like that's what she's doing with Wasting. But at the same time, why'd he turn on her?"

Citrus said, "If you want to know, I've heard it from both sides I wasn't there, so I can't say anything." Swillow growled to herself. How could Citrus question her? "But at the same time, Swillow is easy to agitate, too."

"Sorta like what happens with history," Snofall said as she pointed to the statue, and explained. "I can't tell you if the Creator of Earth had any involvement, that's simply a rumor, a legend. No saying any of this happened as we've heard."

Citrus said, "Vycious may not have existed. Sometimes people are made to sell a story, and give it a main hero to cause inspiration. That's what happened with some of the most famous canine legends."

Snofall added, "I can tell you that she was real. Some say that she was even an Acended, since Ascended don't die for good. That can explain why she supposedly had this great endurance, which helped her get back up again and again."

"Too bad all Ascended moved on to Voto. You doubt me on that? You're acting a bit like you know something that I don't." Some stepping around, Citrus may have been confronting Snofall. "Who are you, and what do you want?"

"Simply a drifter, that's what I already told you. I don't want anything, and I came here all the way across from Voto. You can say I was a big part of Mercy, Wysdom. I'm also a historian, some say it sounds like I was there when I preach history. My brother and sister would concur to that."

How about your romances?" Citrus asked. Her question was a bit too personal.

Snofall replied, "I'm not answering that Citrus, that's my personal business."

"Okay, so where were you born?" Citrus said, while Wasting put a paw on Swillow's shoulder, causing her to gasp and tense up.

"Jumpy much? When you're the one spying on others?" Wasting asked Swillow, who turned the other way. " Anyway, I've been calling on you. Come back with me...please?"

Right now she had thoughts stewing in her mind, so Swillow slunk behind her brother. Was Citrus doubting Swillow, and her honesty? Perhaps because of her soon to be boyfriend? Wolves had access to the world's contraceptives, since other races developed those technologies. Yet, did he and Citrus use any? With Snofall being afraid of her being a murderer, she felt way less secure in the pack than she did when it was only her and Citrus. Wasting was ruining her again.

*

"So what's this all about? You planning to murder me Wasting? Let me remind you that Snofall and Citrus both know where I am, and where I've been last before I disappeared." Wasting took a deep breath, as Swillow gave him a silly grin. The way she smiled with her large teeth, made it look like she was grinning savagely at prey.

"We need to talk about travel plans," Wasting said. They arrived in a room with trickling "waterfalls". Probably as result of the melted snow. Swillow jumped onto a platform several inches above water level. Several lily pad shaped slabs of concrete formed a clear path to the center. She played a game with herself, jumping stone to stone.

"Isn't that a talk for everybody?" Swillow asked. "Citrus is coming with me on my trip. We're ditching you. Sort of like how Kingsbirth ditched me, I think."

Wasting told her, "It's funny, you mentioning that. But you plan to go all the way down the Landbridge, into South Torn right? I want to go all the way to the east, which is where Decay and Hyenkayd are at. Right now we're in the northwest of our continent. So I want to go east, and you want to go south."

"That's right," Swillow said. "But we're not going Southeast, so if you're planning to extend our reunion, I'm glad to tell you that's not happening."

"Nobody wants your constant negativity," Wasting almost spat at her. He was snarling, and she prided herself on thoughts she was getting to him.

"I am only positive," she said. "Right now I am the purest embodiment of puppies and kittens, of light and of the sun." She hopped off the stones.

"Right." Wasting said as he clawed at the ground, until he made a form that resembled Torn. In some way, if one was completely blind. Before Swillow could call his diagram out, he said, "To go East, I have to go South. South Torn has all the boats, which is why you're going. Boats would be a lot quicker for me than walking." Swillow took the hint. Instead of blurting it outright, she tangoed with the problem. "So, you're getting at something. Can you say what?"

"I want to hitch a ride with you all until I get South. Instead of crossing any hills, I ride the boats, I talk to the queen of the Decay, and gather her support."

"Makes sense. I can understand why you'd do that." Swillow saw a smile on her brother's face, and his tail went up like her's.

"So you're actually okay with that?"

Wasting and Swillow were face to face smiling. That was until his sister decided to stab the happy moment in the back."Not a damn bit."

She flared up. Literally, because a fire spell ignited behind her. It rose up, and she stomped towards Wasting. He backed up, and used a water spell to cast some of the waterfall to drench her. It quenched the flames, but now Swillow smelled like wet dog.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

"Anyway, the good news is that I plan to take a fast lane down." He hadn't treated her threat any more than a nuisance behavior that he had to quash. Swillow flattened to the ground, to rest on her crossed arms. Was anybody going to take her seriously? She barely took herself serious as it was. "Probably take the crimson Kingdom, Tandyar."

"I don't think Tandyar would be a fast lane, Wasting." She wasn't sure how to tell him about Citrus and her encounters with any officials from Tandyar.

"I can tell you right now that it is. Crimsons have flat land, and developed lands. They even have a train station. We could take ourselves down, and go all the way to the bridge in a day. The temple is getting snowed in, and we've been here for several days. Autumn's fading into winter."

Swillow lifted her head. "Autumn didn't begin that long ago. I'd say we have at least a month before we have to worry about winter."

Wasting turned away to stare up at the ceiling. Bits of light and water seeped in through it. "Autumn only lasts for eight weeks. I think it's pretty fair to say that we have a month."

"All seasons on Vytyl last eight weeks. Though I think our planet is shrinking too, which means it might last even less than that eventually." Swillow said.

"Planets grow instead of shrink because of meteors. More materials would have to be leaving the planet than entering for it to shrink. We aren't launching many meteors."

"Okay, so why are you asking only me about this anyway?" Swillow said. "How come you didn't tell anybody else about your travel plan, when we're all going on a trip."

"You're the last one I told actually." Swillow blinked, and tried figuring out the implications. "So far, Everybody else was okay with it. We even planned it out together. I knew the news would be sensitive to you, because...you know. So we thought it would be best to leave you out the talk. Plus we all know you'd try to murder me or someone else, but you can't exactly stack up."

"No, Citrus wouldn't talk behind my back." Swillow shook her head, knowing that's what Citrus did a short time ago. Snofall didn't want to talk directly to her either. Probably from fear of thinking that Swillow might go cannibal and eat her.

Wasting shook his head, and Swillow's flames reignited. Wasting hadn't bothered quenching the flames. They were probably too hot, the water would evaporate into steam almost instantly. Swillow rampaged out of the room, while Wasting trailed behind her. She wasn't going to snap back at him, but she'd go after an old friend.

Swillow jolted towards Citrus. Citrus jumped up from her resting position, and hopped back, her tail meeting the wall. The Slaughterhound stopped, snout to snout. She shrieked, "How could you!? You make plans with Wasting, date him, and talk to Snofall? Behind my back no less? How am I supposed to trust you?"

"Get over it Swillow!" Citrus barked, making Swillow fall flat on her tail. "I have to talk behind your back because I knew how'd you react. I can date anybody I want, I have agency. Do you notice how the only way I've turned on you is supposedly by dating your brother? Now unless you can make me feel loved, take care of me, and have sex with me harder and better than he has, get over yourself."

Swillow balked, and flattened her ears. Citrus actually stood up to her, and Snofall appeared to be impressed. Wasting strode into the room.

"Swillow, stop being so stubborn," Wasting said, with a shake of his head. "You aren't splitting us up soon, and we're traveling together."

Same as a surrounded animal, Swillow's hackles raised as she did flames around her. "All of you are against me, aren't you? None of you take my side. You're planning to turn her against me." She sent a wave of flames at Wasting, which he sidestepped. "Snofall is still afraid because she thinks I'm a killer."

"That's not what it is." Snofall muttered, but her tone made her sound unsure. So Swillow wasn't buying it. She snapped and smacked Snofall with her paw.

Wasting pushed Swillow out of the way, and got into a defensive position over Snofall. Swillow looked at the claw marks over Snofall's eye, trying to think of an explanation to justify her actions. Citrus put a paw on her back, making Swillow face her.

"What do you think you were doing there?"

"She was ostracizing me," Swillow muttered underneath her breath.

"Swillow, go to the corner and calm down." Citrus pointed to a distant corner.

Swillow glanced at her and scoffed. "How old do you think I am exactly? I'm as old as you!" She may have sounded confident, but she still cowered before Citrus. Despite Swillow being the bigger wolf.

"Do you need me to get the newspaper? Again?" Swillow grumbled, but went to the corner with a pout. She wasn't a child. This was absolutely demeaning to do to a full grown adult wolf. Yet at the same time, she didn't want a whooping. So maybe it was best to stay low...

"You okay?" Wasting asked Snofall gently. He splashed some water over the cuts, and rubbed her on the head. "The mean wolf didn't hurt you, did she?"

"I'm not the wolf who sold his sister out for a promotion," Swillow said. "Or are you going to say Dyrian was making that up?"

"That little wimp snitched?" Wasting asked. "But anyway, I didn't do it for the promotion. Well, not mostly anyway... Wait, why am I fighting with you? I'm the adult, and you do what I say because I say so."

"I am only a couple years younger than you!" Swillow said.

Citrus said, "Swillow, face the corner again. Next one to throw a temper tantrum is getting my fangs to somewhere private, got it?"

Wasting shook his head, but Snofall came up to him. She whispered into his ear, "That's a bad deal for Swillow and me. But at the same time, I mean, you must be used to that by now, right?" Wasting grinned and shushed her, still stroking her. To Swillow however, it was clear that Snofall was falling for Wasting. She'd have to double up her game if she wanted to win the affections of Snofall and Citrus back.

*

Swillow bit down on a fish's gills. It was a massive beautiful fish, that would easily feed the small pack for a few days. Citrus bit down on the tail. Both turned their heads in the opposite direction, while they ripped the once flopping fish apart. The more they tore into it, the more gore splashed on the snow.

This new technique was coined by Citrus as the mutilation machine, for its effectiveness at murdering. "That should last at least a day. Next up is that we have to get South, and hope the Crimsons don't spot us."

"Should last all of you a day," Swillow said, bitterly. Wasting glanced at her, waiting for an explanation. Then he got a look of enlightenment on his face, but that was interrupted by Snofall.

Snofall said, "The Crimsons are getting ripped apart by the hyenas. They might think that we're the same considering we're also dires."

"More than that," Citrus said, "they may not know the difference between a wolf like us, and one of those kitty wolves. They may want us dead as well."

"Kitty wolf is probably an offensive term," Snofall said. "Particularly if you're using it offensively for a species other than you. That would be like if I called you a fat coyote, Citrus."

"You can stop yapping, you jackal runt," Citrus said. Snofall's jaw dropped at the insult. "Swillow, give her a dosage of what happens to those who talk out of turn." Swillow nodded, and breathed her dog breath into Snofall's face, making her crinkle her nose and recoil.

"I think we can talk more about what's offensive later. The weather's not working in our favor, and something in the snow smells like hyena feet. Speaking of snow, it's about to pick up. This could be risky, but I propose we go now before a freak snowstorm keeps us trapped."

"The hyenas might be friendly," Swillow said. Citrus was amused at the idea, while Wasting looked offended. "I mean, not all hyenas are dangerous, and they're not any worse than wolves inherently. Plus, they're only after Wasting."

Wasting had a look of realization on his face, and Swillow nodded. Swillow was known as the Slaughterhound, and Wasting meanwhile smelled like the kingdom. Wasting snorted, and picked up more of a familiar scent. "I recognize that scent. It smells like some of the hyenas who attacked the village."

Swillow lifted her head and saw a purple hyena in the distance. Then she saw a brown one emerge from the bottom of a hill. A few more hyenas followed after him. The purple one was the biggest, and presumably the leader of the small group.

"Okay everybody, they're about a thousand feet away. I don't want anybody rushing into them." Citrus said as she focused on the figures.

Swillow wasn't listening, and rushed towards them anyway. Wasting, Citrus, and Snofall tried to call her back loudly, since they were too far from the hyenas to be heard.

"My name is Swillow, the Slaughterhound." She placed her paws on the chest of the purple hyena, who was about to have a coronary incident. Hyenas were naturally a few inches taller than a wolf, but Swillow was unnaturally tall.

Purple pushed her off and took a few breaths. The rest of the pack greeted Swillow cordially. They understood her playful posture, and sniffed her. The brown hyena put a paw on the purple one's back.

"So, you're a Slaughterhound?" The possible leader asked.

Swilllow nodded, prompting the purple hyena to say, "My name is Tanzanato. Just so you know, the next time you try to run up to us, you could get hit. Got that?"

Swillow didn't give a damn about any hyena's warning. She was taller and stronger.

"My name is Hemato." The brown hyena mentioned. He didn't sound too sure when he introduced himself. There was the possibility that he could have amnesia. Either that, or he was shy. That was more than likely the case, but Swillow enjoyed the idea of him being an amnesiac.

"Okay, so what's going on? Why have you guys been hanging around this general area? Planning to go around and kill more Crimsons? Swillow asked. "We need to follow some Crimsons back to their town."

Tanzanato spoke up. The other hyenas meanwhile politely sat on the ground. "We're trying to find a temple about our cultures."

Cultures was a particular word. "You only have the one culture, don't you?" Swillow asked in a joking manner. "I mean, you have the culture of Hyenkayd, right?"

"We're not from Hyenkayd only. I personally come from the Decay." Why would Decayed hyenas work with Hyenkaydian hyenas? Swillow darted her head around, and found comfort in knowing that Citrus was observing the event.

"You could make a good addition to our pack." Hemato stated, as he shakily stood up. He said, "If you've found the temple, it can help. We're joining to fight the Canine Kingdoms."

The hyenas, not understanding the joke, passed confused looks to each other. They made sure to surround Swillow in case something bad were to happen.

Hyenas seemed to think she was erratic too, apparently."I can't believe you are coming from two places to take on this one kingdom, my home kingdom."

"Hyenas are hyenas," Tanzanato said in her defense, not that Swillow was judging her. "In case you're worried about our population, we can take on the Kingdoms, but we want some help. You have inside information that proves beneficial."

Wind picked up, Swillow's tail sailed with it. Swillow had to speak louder so the whooshing wind couldn't drown her out.

"I can tell you right now that attacking Kingsbirth won't get you any closer to victory. The town's important historically, but if you are planning to rip it apart, you should go after the capital. Something to that effect, right?"

"Mere diversion on our part." Tanzanato raised her voice, but didn't have to shout because she already had an imposing melody in her favor. "We plan to attack the fox kingdom of the coast. Then we go further in." Swillow relaxed on the snow, smirking silently as she heard them admit all their plans. "So," the hyena said, "Are you planning to join us?"

Swillow shook her head at them. "Not my best interest. I have to get down to South Torn. I can show you to the temple, but don't tell anybody. My brother is still loyal to the kingdoms." Her words caused the hyena pack to snarl at her, and for the first time, she realized that the six hyenas could easily gore her now.

"If you are still tied with the kingdom, then perhaps we shouldn't ask for your assistance. But instead, insist on killing you." Tanzanato stated bitterly.

Hemato snapped at her face, but Swillow ducked. She came back up to slap him across the ear, causing him to fallback. Swillow mounted him, but got headbutted off by Tanzanato.

Swillow crunched into the snow, ice crystal piercing her back. She tried getting up, but Tanzanato mounted her. Typically, this situation would inspire Swillow to make sexual jokes, but Tanzanto's fangs buried themselves into her shoulder. Hemato bit Swillow's tail.

Swillow flailed around, panicking. More hyenas bit into her with powerful jaws, their sharp teeth digging into her body. A light suddenly flashed above them, and water splashed on the pack of hyenas. Swillow got sprayed as well. A few of the packs' grip on her slackened, and most of the hyenas got pushed off of her.

Swillow's vision came back, only for her to notice snow running down. It took on the appearance of a tidal wave, but the fight prevented anyone else noticing. Swillow's jaw dropped, and adrenaline kickstarted the engine in her brain.

"Run!" Swillow shouted, but everybody paused for a split second. There was a rumbling noise, and all stared at the oncoming natural disaster. Panic ensued, because there was no cover that anyone could run to for protection. However, just when things seemed hopeless, Snofall stood in front of everybody.

She sent a navy colored wave of energy at the rushing snow, which caused it to sharply split away. It formed a "V," and no one behind its formation was harmed Swillow stepped up besides Snofall, watching this miraculous display of magical powers.

Almost as soon as the rumbling stopped, and the shaking of the planet, Swillow spoke up. "You're an Ascended."

This proved that Snofall was more than a typical dire. Swillow figured out that she was a beast of high magical fortitude, and got a grin in response by the fox.

The hyenas, who were also slack jawed, gave submissive gestures. Their tails were tucked, and heads were lowered, as they paid their respect to the awesome might of Snofall. Wasting too did what the hyenas did, while Citrus only gave an impressed appearance. Swillow only smiled at Snofall, who kept grinning at her. "I think it's time we deal with the hyenas too, yes?"