The nasty rats were everywhere, It took hours before the passageways cleared. Shivering as the wet cramped passageway had soaked his fur.
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Just as he was about to step out the awful human Kar called out. Heart racing he jumped out, then shot into the small tunnel right below.
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Crawling through it his paws chilled from the slick muck. Ugg, pitooy, blea. He slid belly first down a ramp that jettisoned him outside.
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"Wheee!"
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He rose in an arc before falling on top a prickle bush.
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"Yi-yoo!"
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This was different from the cage.
And weird pink goo room. So many snells, mummm!
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A bird! I missed your pretty chirps. He moved and a burr poked into him arm. He hissed. He sat on his rump removing them, the icky things tangled even worse when pulled on.
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Good smells out here. Kar and the rats, so mean poking me with scary needles all day. Going to eat you some day, can't poke me then! He growled deep and huffed.
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And for Mama too. Leo sniffed. Big tear drops spilled over his The snout. He wiped it off on the back of his paw.
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He sniffed again. What is that?
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"Snifffff!"
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Not human, no more woodsy and peppery.
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The scent stretched off in the distance, he followed it for a good few hours.
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Houngry, wish some of those meat cubes were around here. He kicked a rock, it rolled into a small hole.
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"Squeek!"
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His ears tilted forward. Hey, meat? He drooled while dropping back on all fours and dug his claws into the soft earth.
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A mouse jumped out. He snapped it up gulping it down. Not bad, crunchy.
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There it is again. Another wiff of the scent passed by, he trotted after it.
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####
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Several weeks pass, the scent long gone, but he kept going anyways. On the rare occasion when a stinky human didn't run away, he asked them about the pointy lady.
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In a cave, he found several cages, each a dead bugbear. Far in the back one was whimpering.
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He crouched down on his haunches next the cage.
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"You alive?"
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"If I wasn't would I be making any sounds?" The bugbear sat up, her grey fur matted and dirty.
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"Well? Get me out all ready."
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"Okay!"
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A heavy thing smacked the back of his head. Annoying!
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Turning, he caught the handle of a shovel held by a human male mid swing.
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"Dummy!" He shook the handle, then let go. The human made a weird noise and backed away.
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Leo turned back and pounded on the cages latch. The door swung open then fell off with a thud.
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"Boy, your head made out of rockwood?"
"No." He shook his head several times.
I'm, Granny got it?" She pointed a claw at her chest.
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"Yup. Got it!" It was great to find someone, another bugbear.
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"I'm going home. We'll have to come back later to bury them."
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She took him out to the outer edges of the city nearby, then lead him down a steep cliff. On the southern side was a old carved stairway.
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"Take care not fall, it's a long drop." She said then went down it.
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He looked over the side, a fast river filled with jagged rocks sticking out all over.
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"Wait up, granny!"
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He jogged behind her.
He stayed with her for a month. One morning she just didn't wake up. Could just pretend not to know.
The tears were worse then last time, and his nose ran too. He wiped his snout on the blanket before wrapping her in it. Better, way better then the cold ground. Goodbye.
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He took the pack she'd made him and headed north outside. After a few days he found a snow covered pathway that winded up a mountainside.
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A few hours later a small crack in the mountainside drew his attention. It smelled thick of human and of cinder. Yuck human, they smell like rotten fish! He rubbed his nose trying to clear the stench away.
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He dug his claws into the cold rocks, fighting to climb up the mountainside. The harsh winds buffeted on all sides, its howling winds yowling.
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The brave human said a party had headed this way, after that he didn't know where they went. Have nobody left, maybe she would know. It was a long shot, but better then being alone.
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He scrambled down and dropped in front of another cavern. This one had a bridge inside that stretched across spanning both sides. The waters below smelled faintly of her. Have to hurry must be catching up.
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His skin tingled with each breath, magic had been cast here. He sniffed, breathing in deep. Holy magic? He sniffed again. Ya, it was. Her scent was definitely above the water. Weird as most scents vanished around water.
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Hate baths, hate being wet. Turning back, he climbed off the bridge, then sank his claws into the supporting stone pillar, gorging large holes into it.
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A moment later he dropped down into the water, then swam to the edge of the cavern lake off ahead.
Pulling out was thankfully easy. The cavern floor wasn't too slick, he braced his footing before shaking out his fur.
He stopped. A light snoring. A shadow on the floor moved and stretched. He patted over. Shadows didn't move, so? 859Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0sHotfmXGg
The shadow grew in shape and color, it was a purple cat-like creature with horns and long claws. It was sprawled out in the middle taking up most of the cavern room. Talk about pretty. Leo stood tall and strained his neck. Where was the exit? Was it laying on it? 859Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhjLkloUzFz
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Inching closer he patted the creature's shoulder.
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"Can you help me?"
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The creature cracked one eye open. "What is it pest?"
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The creature raised its head sitting up on it's haunches, looming over him.
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He swallowed. "How do I get out of here?"
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"Whatever it takes to have some peace first annoying morsels cut my nose-" He pointed to a healing gash- "And now you! Go back under the water and through the tunnel."
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He flopped over onto his side; snoring.
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"Thanks!"
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"Go away pipsqueek-sleep-" The creature muttered. It's snores started again.
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He slid into the water diving deeper until a tunnel cavity appeared. It was just wide enough to pass through, he kicked hard swimming up, the exit above him.
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It was a tight squeeze he pulled and wiggled out pushing up with his arms. That's enough baths for a year. Ah, outside again. The morning sun warmed his fur, he sat there until it dried.
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A days walk later he found a forest made of silver trees that had crystal droplets hanging from the leafs. The thin lines laced over the nearby leafs connecting from top to bottom.
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It was interesting watching them move almost like they moved on their own. He shook his head, na that's silly.
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A sign hung from a tree's branches:
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Great Silver Forest
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Under these words it said in thick lettering:
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Evil dies here.
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He stepped closer to the sign a sharp shock darted over his back, the fur puffed out. Errrg!
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Backing off the sensation left. A warning? He stepped over to the sign again. Not the sign.
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Am going in there traps or not! He took two steps onto the forest.
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"Ah ha! Ha!"
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It didn't shock this time. He sniffed. Small sparks lit up a darker area ahead, the warm scent of brimstone tickled his snout; of home and peace.
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A light shock danced over his skin, as did a whole new sensation that had no words. This was much like last time, but richer. Magic again a different kind.
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Leo sniffed again, while taking a few steps closer toward the sparks.
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"Elanener." No. No. "Elemental." Ya, fire smelled just like this. The sparks had gone, but the warm scent remained.
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The sparks stoped as he closed the distance.
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A strange creature sat on a massive nest. Atop the creature's head a large crest that that thined as it reached its neck. The long golden feathers shimmered orange that ended with deep purple at the tips. The rest of it was also this coloration.
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A rabbit spooked from behind a tree and the creature turned its striking blue eyes his way.
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"For your sake, you had better not try it."
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"Try what?" He shook, trying not to look tasty.
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The look on her-definitely a female it was in her tone of voice.
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"I ... I want to find my way out of this forest, O grand one!" Shifting his feet onto the dirt.
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She chirped for awhile before the sound clicked. A laugh.
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"You don't need to be quite that polite. All right then, you're not after my eggs?"
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"No, no! I'm trying to find someone. Granny said this was my journey. Whatever that means."
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He relaxed a little, but kept ready in case the creature attacked.
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"Come up here, it's time to eat, and have a chat shall we? Tell about Granny and your someone."
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He eyed her. To eat with or be eaten?
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She taped the edge of the nest with a rose colored talon.
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He gulped. So sharp.
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"Don't eat me!" He sobbed and cried. He rubbed his eyes with the back side of his paws.
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"I didn't mean to frighten you. Are you a child?" Her voice was softer and way less scary.
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He sniffed, nodding. "Ya, I'm almost two. Next year ill be as big as my brother!" He held out his arms out wide and then up high.
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She chirped again. "Here you look famished."
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She bent her long swan like neck down over the side of the nest. A dead rabbit landed at his feet.
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"Yum! Thanks!"
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After a few bites he looked up again. "What are you?"
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She waited for him to finish.
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"Now little one, where is your mother? You should not be out in these dangerous woods alone!"
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His stomach became sour and he started sobbing, the baby tears streamed down his cheeks wetting the fur.
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"Mama! Is gone!" He sucked in great gulps of air and sobbed harder.
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That bad, horrible day. It all came back. He curled into a ball and pushed his paws into his face; hard. My fault mine, mine, if I been good mama would be here.
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"My fault. I ran off."
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The ground disappeared under him as a wing scooped him up. He froze. Gona' die.
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"I don't wanna'!" Can't even call for mamma.
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He shivered. Then landed on some soft straw.
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"Look at me."
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"No!"
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He grabbed his tail and curled up tighter.
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"I'm not going to eat you."
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He peaked at her between paws. She wrapped a wing around him.
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"I'm a bird ... of sorts."
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"Okay? A big one!" He spread his hands out.
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"I did not mean to upset you. Here come closer. A nap will do you good."
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He cuddled up beside her drifting off under the warm feathers with her chest rising up and down.
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####
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The bird's chicks hatched a month later, he tossed the deer over his shoulder watching them play. Their gray fluffy down was almost gone and the colors of flame poked through.
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Mama Blaze had adopted him and even gave him a name.
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"Hi mom, look what I can do, I've been practicing!" said Leo.
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She turned around as he placed the dead deer on the forest floor. He had a handful of her feathers, and assorted herbs in some small pots.
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Smearing the crushed herbs all over it, then placed one feather on its side. He sang, it was choppy as his new fangs messed up the tone. It didn't matter as after a while the feather glowed a bright red. The deer sprang up and bounded away.
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"You did well and remembered each step, very good."
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"I finally did it right!"
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"You would have been a good Phoenix." She preened the top of his head.
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She straightened. "It's time you finished your mission. The spirits that travel in the ebb and flow if time whisper of disruption, chaos and an eclipse."
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"Why cryptic?"
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"It's tiring for them to talk, at most three words is all they can manage."
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"Take these before you go." She pushed over a flat piece of bark covered in molted feathers.
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Bending down, he picked them up and stuffed them in his pack.
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"I'll come back."
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She shimmered and shook her head, she opened her beak painting.
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"Try not to for at least two moons. It is the time if offering that I told you about. It'll be far too hot here."
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"May the sun follow you," he said.
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"And warm your journey," Mama Blaze replied.
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Hugging her burned his paws some, don't care. He left the forest and headed West.
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He slipped past the town of Badgervill careful to avoid the mass of stinking humans. A small shack just past the town was near the road. He spotted a large rusted wood axe lying in the grass beside it. Bending down he picked it up, looking at it. This will not be missed, it is pretty old.
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There it was again, her scent lead him back near the Great Silver Forest. Several days later he found upon a waterfall with a lake and a winding river; only stopping to swipe some fish out and sleep.
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A long deep canyon was at the forest's end. Its bridge split and broken in two on both sides. He went over to a part of rope cable that was caught on a pointed rock and pulled out several blue hairs. Definitely was going this way.
