Natrina, what are you doing? My sisters gives me a huge, wild-eyed look and move my jaw in a vain attempt to convey the quiet message. I notice her in my peripheral vision, but I'm on a roll now and there's nothing that'll make me back down.

"We contribute almost nothing and now that the garden is razed, we are of practically no use. The herbs we usually get from the garden can easily be found elsewhere and there are others who know just as much of us. Most importantly, we need to find out what happened to my sister. For all we know, it could be some sort of prophecy."

"You believe that your sister's transformation could be something that the Queen should know about? Very well. Unfortunately, after what she did, I can not say it is a wise decision to let her simply wander off. I want you two back here with the information and potential from the Queen as soon as possible. We will send guards after you otherwise, and with their noses, you will be found. If you are attempting to run away after your father... don't even think about it." Her jowls form a menacing expression, but I'm too outraged to be scared.

"Why would we go after Fen? I am not my mother and nor is my sister. If we aren't back by the time the moon is back to a crescent, send another group after us. They can trace us all the way to the palace." I say, far louder than necessary. I want to make sure that the whole pack knows we're not backing down, not even to the alpha.

The alpha is not willing to take such insolence, not even from the saviors of her camp, and she just sits back and with a flick of her tail, mutters, "Very well then. You can go now."

My stomach rumbles. I was hoping to stay the night and leave in the morning. I'm tired and hungry, and Verhamera knows that if my sister and I met anything in the wild we would probably both be dead.

"Right now?" asks Lotus, equally shocked.

"I was not joking. Do you need an escort to the edge of camp?" The alpha is mocking us. My alpha, though she's right- if I find something else out there, Fen-related or otherwise, the chances of me coming back might be significantly slimmed. I had few friends here beside my sister.

Now and then, it's just us against the world.

It's time to go.
My heart pulses quickly but I close my eyes, sucking in a deep breath, and put one foot in front of the other slowly. Lotus follows behind, and I can smell her warm scent by mine. She smells like home, like our mother, like the garden. If I had to put a label to it, she almost smells like hope itself. I continue onwards, letting her scent mingle with that of the burned trees, and beyond that, open forest. Another indicator that our fire was a magical one is the concentration of it- magical fire does not spread the way that regular fire does. It never lets up on its enemy, never spreads far enough for the magic to disperse.

Lotus and I walk in silent in the night air, which is warm and the birds are calling. Despite everything, there's a certain joy that comes with finally being free. Exhilaration.

It's a promise of finally living our own lives, and even if my mother is dead and the grief is just setting in on my heart, my sister is here.

Unfortunately, with all that's happened today, the happiness is only a faint tingling amongst the endless numbness of what just happened and how are we still alive.

Lotus breaks the silence first, stopping and staring straight upwards. "Natrina, it's a shooting star! Bet it's good luck. You know, it was a shooting star that brought the very first Canii to Dreamland. All the children of Verhamera from all the worlds followed one of those." Lotus perks up immediately, tail wagging. "She knows we're here. She's watching out for us."

"Oh, really?" I say teasingly. "Where is this great omen?"

"You just missed it!" Lotus sticks out her tongue teasingly. I ignore the quiet sadness behind her joy, knowing both of us are just trying to feel better.

As if to answer us both, a bright white powder begins falling all around us. I feel it seep into my being, making me shiver all the way to the core. Something very special is about to happen, and my whole body knows it. I tremble with anticipation, expecting to transform like my sister did, to spontaneously grow wings (hopefully ones that actually work) and take to the skies and bathe in this new, beautiful feeling.

I feel a warm, unadulterated joy that comes with a fierce desire to protect her. My sister, who has never been anything but kind and loving. My pack, too. I love them all in that moment, and it is the most amazing thing I've ever experienced.

Another shooting star streaks across the sky, this time much bigger, and Lotus begins running after it.

Without asking questions, I follow her, and I see the star fall into the earth on the top of a large hill. Shaking her head, a figure gets up from the explosion, seemingly unfazed. It looks... like a Canis.

She dashes towards us, and I see that it is indeed a Canis, but she's nothing like any Canis we've ever seen before.

"It's you!" she cries, sounding just as happy as we feel. She has a beautiful voice, like water running down a stream and birdsong. As we get closer to her, she extends huge, white wings and we both notice at once that she has not two but three Verhamera's Horns on each side, a blessing only shared by the goddess herself. Who is this stranger?
"Do you know us?" I ask, hoping for her approval. I want to make her happy without knowing her. The questions keep piling up in my mind, the same ones stuck on repeat a million times over. Who are you? Why are you here?

"You're... uh... no, no, I really do know your name, just give me a second." The speckled Canis closes her eyes and makes a face of pure concentration before deciding, "You're Nat, right?"

Lotus begins giggling, a loud and high chirruping sound that almost sounds like she's sighing and laughing at the same time. I shoot her a look of pure contempt and she continues giggling harder.

"What's with her?" asks the Canis, looking past me at her, as if she's deciding if Lotus is friend or foe.

"Well, Nat isn't my name." I say, "For starters."
"Really? What is it?" She looks shocked.

"It's actually Natrina. You pronounce it Nuh-treena." I say, purposefully drawing out the whole word.

"Naaah-treenuh." She kind of gets it, though her eyes are still watching me quizzically. "Can I just call you Nat?"

"No." I say, indignant at my sister's continued laughter.

"Yes! Yes, please!" Lotus cries.

She looks between us and blinks. "Nat it is," she says thoughtfully.

"Look, who are you and for Verhamera's sake, why-"

"Did you say Verhamera?" asks the speckled Canis, her ears perking up immediately. "She's my mom!"