"Come on! They're headed this way!"
Leona grunted as she followed the sound of her friend's voice. They'd been running at full speed for at least ten minutes, and everyone else looked like they relished the opportunity of madly chasing down an adversary.
Leona, on the other hand, was struggling.
It had been ages since she'd physically exerted herself this much, with nothing in the last four years requiring such levels of energy and endurance. Nevertheless, she kept up with the group, weaving around massive trees and leaping over stumps as they tracked down the enemy in the woods.
"They're close. I can smell them," Dorian Quinn, one of Leona's friends from childhood, casually announced to the group over his shoulder. Being the fittest one in the pack, he led the charge with a powerful sprint, tearing through bushes and shrubs without slowing down.
"They're on the run?" Leona puffed as she strained herself to get closer to Dorian. "What are they after?"
"I don't know," Dorian replied, his blond hair blowing backward. "Whatever it is, one thing's for sure: they're not running from us."
Leona knew that for a fact. No Bloodclaw would escape an opportunity to clash with a Moonshadow, which made her wonder what they chased.
About two minutes later, the group burst into a wide clearing, and Dorian finally hit the brakes. Leona panted heavily as she slowed to a stop, as did the others. With aching legs and a burning chest, she staggered over to Dorian. Then she saw what made him stop, and all her pains were suddenly forgotten. With a scowl, she glared at the strangers who stood in the middle of the clearing. Six of them, to be specific. And they stared back with equal intensity.
"Bloodclaws," she growled. "You're far from home."
A man broke out from the group, taking a step forward with a hardened face. "As are you, Moonshadow. Besides, this is a neutral ground. Free of claim from any pack. Don't you know anything about history?"
Leona stares the speaker down with blazing eyes. She recognized him quite well—Lucas Crein, heir to the alpha of the Bloodclaws, leader of their ground troops. An obnoxiously annoying fellow that was born to be an eternal thorn in her flesh.
"Speak that way to Leona again," Dorian said quietly, but dangerously, "and I'll rip your useless tongue out."
"Lucas." A woman beside him touched his large, muscular arm somewhat affectionately. "Leave these peasants alone. We have more important matters to deal with."
"Then deal with them in the cave holes you call homes," Leona shot back. "You shouldn't be anywhere near our territory, and for all your talk about history, you should know about that."
Lucas hesitated, with locks of his dark, wavy hair swaying in obedience to the breeze as he seemed to be mentally making a decision. Then, with his eyes focused on Leona, he wore an unpleasant smile.
"It's a trick."
"What?" Even the woman beside him, as well as the other Bloodclaws, frowned in confusion.
Lucas remained adamant. "The witch is working for them. It has to be the reason why she led us through their land. Just to spark a conflict these fools wouldn't be able to ignore."
"So you did trespass on our territory," Leona said as Dorian snarled. The rest of the Moonshadows, four in number, moved forward as well. A silent readiness to attack once Leona gave the order. "You have ten seconds to tell us why. Otherwise, we will kill you and your comrades where you stand."
The other Bloodclaws stole glances at themselves, their expressions mixed with anger and unease, a reaction that confused Leona. Lucas, however, kept his eyes steady at his rivals and wore a smile that infuriated Leona so much that all she wanted to do was rip it off his face.
"It's been a long time since I've had a good fight, peasants," Lucas said as he cracked his knuckles. "And my father will be pleased when I bring back the dead body of the Moonshadow heir. That's two birds with one stone."
Leona scoffed as claws sprang from her fingertips. "You're still a daddy's boy at your pathetic old age. I'm not surprised. I'll be happy to relieve your father of his disappointing burden when I send you back to him in a body bag."
Dorian chuckled as he flashed his claws as well. Lucas's smirk had disappeared, and a deep scowl with yellow, glowing eyes had taken its place. He took a stance, crouching slightly as he bared his fangs and claws. His comrades did the same, prepared to attack on his order.
"So be it, then," Leona said quietly. With roars, the Moonshadows charged at the Bloodclaws.
Just before razor-sharp claws and mutated teeth could rend flesh to pieces, a beam of bright light appeared between the colliding packs. Each of them stumbled backward, snarling as they shielded their sensitive eyes from the blinding rays. The intense glow only lasted for a moment, and when it died down, a woman stood in the middle of the clearing, radiating power and authority.
"You," Lucas growled as he regained his composure. "You finally show your face, you traitor."
The woman stared coldly at him, her long, snow-white hair and blue flowing dress billowing in the wind. "Be careful how you utter words to me, boy. I've served many Bloodclaw alphas, spanning over centuries before you were even conceived."
"That doesn't concern me," he retorted with a scowl. "It is the alpha you betrayed who wants you dead. My father has ordered for your head and I will bring it to him."
"On what grounds?" The witch questioned. "Simply because I refused to be part of this senseless feud? Because I told him the truth he didn't want to hear? As long as he remains stiff and arrogant, your father's downfall is sooner than you expect. As is your own."
"Do not threaten me, witch!" Lucas yelled as he lunged at the woman. She calmly flicked her hand, and a powerful gust of wind suddenly picked Lucas off his feet and slammed him back into the ground. The Bloodclaws froze, unsure whether to attack the "traitor" or help their prince. The witch turned to the Moonshadows, and Leona gazed into her crystal blue eyes without flinching.
"Yes, I lured them here. Only because I knew you'd come after your enemies. However, I didn't bring you here to fight. I brought you all together to pass a grave warning."
"A warning?" Leona asked with a narrowed brow. "What warning?"
The witch's eyes suddenly began to glow as she levitated inches above the ground. With arms spread wide, the previously gentle winds picked up pace, as if she were commanding the elements. When she spoke, her voice echoed like a ghostly chorus, striking fear and awe into the hearts of her listeners.
"A storm is fast approaching," she began slowly. "With it comes an old threat that has been revamped and revitalized. Creatures of the night that wish to resurrect their eternal master, bringing about a new era of death and destruction. To defeat this enemy, history must be pushed aside and alliances must be forged. Else, nothing will survive the oncoming onslaught."
With that, the witch shimmered and vanished into thin air, leaving be
hind two groups of puzzled onlookers.