Chapter 9


                                                      ~Jay~

       I tapped my paw impatiently as we waited for Night to leave his den. Since we were just trainees, Joy, Whisper and I agreed to tell Night where we were going so maybe he or someone else more experienced would accompany us. I watch the sunrise, sighing at the beautiful shades of orange it presented. I twisted my head to see Whisper coming towards me. He sat down next to me. 

"Joy told Night and Moon what happened. They don't know if they should send us or a patrol of higher ranks." Whisper stated. I felt my fur soak with disappointment. If I could do this journey and complete it, maybe I could be something useful for once. I nodded. 

"Night is going to host a pack meeting, so we should probrably look presentable." Whisper pointed out, gesturing to my bed head and his ruffled fur. I offered a small smile, Whisper returned a larger one.

       Once we finished grooming our pelts it was time for the pack meeting. Night leaping on the tall stone. He cleared his throat, catching the attention of Firepack's members, the chattering quieting down. 

"As you all know, the Silver Flame prophecy has been taking way. Joy, Whisper and Jay received a dream, them all referring to The Silver Flame. They all received parts of a riddle. Putting them together they received a prophecy." Night declared while he looked at his pack. They murmured, disbelief and surprise in their tones. 

"Trainees for prophecies?"

"Their so young."

"We can't let them go it's too dangerous,"

"The Silver Flame is to complex for any trainee to figure out."

I cock my head, The Silver Flame. So that's what it's called. I ambled towards Night, skidding to a halt at the base of the tall stone. 

"S-sir, what does the prophecy mean?" I question, my vision clouding with confusion, Night sighed. 

"Kit, their are a total of four packs in the forest. Each of them stand for a season." Night explained. "Firepack stands for Fireleaf, Frostpack for Frostleaf, Sunpack is Sunleaf, and Leafpack is Fallenleaf." I cocked my head, still a bit confused.

"Ten moons ago, so you'd be eight moons old, a brawl broke out. Weakening Leafpack and Sunpack, a storm swept through, forcing them to evacuate their camps. They scattered, mapessing up the season cycle. Now the seasons are uneven." 

      I hummed in response, getting the gist of the prophecy's definition. My blood quickly ran cold, the storm that separated me from my pack? 

"Fallleaf goes first as Leafpack, it gives an equal balance, not to hot, not to cold. Then we come us representing Fireleaf. It starts to get hot, making things crisp so they shrivel up and die so Fallleaf doesn't produce too much vegetation. Then Sunleaf comes, like a hybrid between Fireleaf and Fallleaf. Like a much hotter Fallleaf. Finally Frostleaf comes along, cooling the temperature and coating the forest in snow like a cocoon. Fallleaf comes back again and the cycle restarts." Night finishes.

      Slowly nod, the information still buzzing through my brain. My throat is dry, I open my mouth to speak, no words come out, I don't speak. I gulp, dampening my throat.

"Night, why is the absence of the two packs bad?"  I inquired. Night's ear flicked. Probably in annoyance for all my questions.

"Well you see Jay, with only Firepack and Frostpack, we will burn everything making it crisp. Their is no sunleaf to make the middle and fill in the gap between direct to Frostleaf. So Frostleaf will come around and freeze everything. Fallleaf isn't there to thaw it out and give an equal balance. So Fireleaf handles it, thawing out everything swiftly, the vegetation is damp from the thaw and won't have time to recover due to no Fallleaf. So Firepack will use the water to its advantage to make everything even dryer. With no Fallleaf and Sunleaf, the land will eventually get too dry to live or hunt in," Night elucidated. 

I make my mouth in an 'o' shape. I blinked at Night, gifting him a small smile.

"Thanks!" I chirped happily, maneuvering through the murmuring crowd towards my friends bumping into Colt, Soi and Twig. I look up at them apologetic.

"Hey watch it twerp." Twig sneered, 

"Twig!" Soi scolded, his ears flattening on his head.

"Woah woah woah, why are you protective over Jay?" Colt butt in, I felt heat rise to my cheeks in embarrassment as I shrunk back feeling very small. The three foxes went on with their chattering.

"I was basically the one who found him. I'm proud to bring him into the pack, wouldn't you feel proud if you earned the pack a new member?" Soi retorted. Twig snorted.

"Good job Soi." Twig rolled her eyes, sarcasm dripping with venom in her voice. "You've succeeded in bringing a useless kit in the pack, way to go. Bringing a little scrap like him wouldn't make me feel proud." 

"He is actually quite useful, did you see all the prey he caught a moon ago? He was only eight moons old!" Colt boasted about me, I flashed Colt an awkward smile. 

"Exactly!" I heard Soi say as I slunk away from the three joining my friends. I finally made it there. I exhaled deeply. 

"Twig is not in a good mood today." I clarified. Whisper scoffed

"Is she ever?" He pointed out, I grimace at Whisper. 

"She called me a useless kit." I growled, Joy bounced up next to me, 

"Don't worry, we know how it feels." Joy said, looking towards Whisper. Whisper nodded, giving them a humph for a response. 

"I thought I was always good, but no matter what I did Firepack never accepted me." Whisper confessed.

"I was the runt if my littler." Joy stated. "I was always bullied for that." She looked a little uncomfortable.

"Seriously, am I that small?" I chuckled, changing the subject. Joy laughed while Whisper smirked at me. A yowl rang across the reason. Everyone immediately quieted. 

"We've made a descion." Night bellowed. "The trainees will not go," 

      I felt my heart sink. Pidgeondung! I was looking forward of being part of something important and revolutionary. Night pretended not to see the deep disappointment in my eyes as he continued his speech.

"More experienced foxes will go. Twig, Soot, Leaf, Oak and Dawn." Night assembled. The four declared foxes puffed their chest out, eyes glittering with excitement. With a flick of a tail Night dismisses the meeting, the pack breaking apart to do their duties. 

"I really thought we could do it." Joy sighed, defeat hanging in her voice. Whisper sighed as he saw Twig boasting about her important mission.

"Oh boy." Whisper groaned. 

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I was jolted awake, I stepped out of my den, the leaves slowly chipping as I walked, 

"Jay!" Joy whisper-yelled. I grin, hopping towards Joy and Whisper.

"Woah, over there." Whisper pointed his paw towards Twig, Oak, Soot, Dawn and Leaf. They were laughing as they exited the camp. The five of them leaping with glee. They disappeared, the seasons shifted, the camp rotating. The camp stopped, 

"Woah what was that?" Joy gasped, I turn my head around to meet her.

"Woah!" I gasped as I took in Whisper's and Joy's features, their fur was less fluffy and was longer.

"You guys.....aged." My eyes widened. I look down at my paws,

"You too! Your taller now." Joy pointed out with a chuckle. I felt pleasure jolt through me, yes! I thought.

Suddenly, the camp was sapped of its greens and vegetation.  The three of us gasped as Moon stepped into view, eyes holding no emotion, the leaves of the camp blew away, leaving the land bare. Moon diminished her eyes. 

"Overall, this is not a game, 

Life of all kind will be drained

Even the title with the greatest fame,

Will not be remembered after The Silver Flame." Moon whispered, dissolving in the wind along with the leaves. 

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I jolted awake, darting towards Whisper's den. 

"Wake up wake up!!!" I yelped shaking the other fox, Whisper groaned, coming out of sleep.

"What kind of dream do you have??" I commanded, 

"One where we were all together in camp, we aged and then Mo-" Whisper didn't get to finish as I clamped his jaw on the young trainee's paw, traipsing towards Joy's den with Whisper trailing behind me, scampering to keep up with my speed and without the one law that was in my mouth.

"Joy!" I jumped on the white fox, she woke up quickly, knocking me off her. I hit the ground with an thump.

"Oh my guardian foxes! I'm sorry Jay!" Joy apologized, 

"No harm done," I grumbled, "anyways, we had a weird dream, we were in camp and we aged then Moon came and gave us another part of the prophecy." I explained, Joy gasped,

"Overall, this is not a game, 

Life of all kind will be drained,

Even a title with the greatest flame,

Will not be remembered after The Silver Flame." Joy recited. Our eyes filled with unease. 

"We were supposed to go, not Leaf, Dawn, Oak, Soot and Twig!" I inferred. "They're all going to get hurt somehow." I murmured. 

"What are the names of the four packs?" I asked, Joy and Whisper glanced at each other,

"Firepack, Frostpack, Leafpack and Sunpack." They listed together. My eyes widen.

"Leafpack, my birthpack." I gasped in realization. 

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      Night was struck with grief, when he was greeted with the body of his dead deputy, Leaf while a patrol was hunting. He sighed.

"The new Deputy will be." Night's icy gaze swept though the crowd. My blood ran cold at the name he picked,

"Jay."

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