Shadow moved one paw forward, shifting the game piece on his side of the board, his eyes staring unwaveringly at the devious enemy directly across from him. The introduction of the board game known as Forest King by the two-leg Eve had allowed him to come into his full power. No longer was he limited to merely magic or physical power. Now his incredible mind could be put to full use defeating his enemies. Each of the players created pieces to represent each of the forces that both sides commanded.

Across from him, the most powerful enemy so far contemplated their response; their hairless tail showed not a single twitch of fear. With an almost minimal delay, the air moved at their command, and a piece calmly shifted to block his entire strategy in a single blow. The wave tactics employed by the Grandmaster were difficult to defeat with his current meager forces.

“To believe you would be able to defeat Pan the Grandmaster so easily, I think not.” Light commented from the sides, her white fur rippling in amusement as her mouth gave a large grin.

“This is a minor setback.” Shadow said, his fur concealing the cold sweat accumulated as he saw the entire counterattack that could unfold from the Grandmaster’s simple move. It looked dim for the greatest shadow using wolf general under the heavens until a savior arrived in the form of the two-leg Eve. Picking up Shadow and Light, she gave his opponent a look before moving them off to be stuffed full of delicious food.

As he escaped, held in the arms of the great food bringer, Shadow smirked in a canine grin at the vile Grandmaster who was shaking his tiny fist at him. It was clear the champion of many weeks of victories was marking him down as a target. Shadow shrugged as he settled in to eat dinner, the true measure of a general was winning, and retreat, no, tactical retreating was a completely valid option in his book. Dead members of the Pack would not contribute to a successful Hunt, so running away to fight another time was acceptable to him.

Granted, some battles had to be fought, such as sleeping arrangements around the great food bringer Eve or leadership battles. Other than those two instances, though, his mentor's Mudslide, All-Right, Fang, Album, Umbra, and Aqua had informed him anything else was up to the leader’s choice. Light had quietly informed him as a pup that as long as he chose her as his only mate in the future, she would be willing to follow his lead. Shadow wasn’t sure exactly how that worked, so he had closely watched his elders as he grew up.

It was clear to the future shadow general of the Pack that female leadership handled internal affairs, and external affairs were the Alpha’s duty. Only rarely would the situation change, such as when dealing with a female like the human Eve. In those cases, having the Alpha’s mate handle things seemed to produce much better results, and Shadow had taken that lesson deeply to heart.

Females are rather scary creatures when young are involved. Shadow thought. Big Brother Kudzu gives good advice, don’t let the young be in danger, and everything is good.

To that end, Shadow had carefully trained his Elemental powers. When he finished the meal, a look at his Status revealed a duplicate almost identical to Light’s own.

Name: Shadow

Race: Deep Forest Wolf

Class: Alpha Shadewalker

Level: 5

Health: 50/50 (.5 hps regen)

Stamina: 50/50 (.5 sps regen)

Stats: Str 5, Dex 5, Con 5, Wis 5, Int 5

Free Stats: 25

Skills:

Shadow Steps

Shadow Claw

Shadow Fang

Detect Moving Shadows

Spells:

Shadow Armor

Mental Talents:

Shadow-Stone Mind

Physical Talents:

Shadow-Stone Body

Light’s own status was like a reflected mirror of his own. Shadow padded off stealthily to Eve’s bedroom to be in position when the other male members of his future Pack attempted to steal his position on the bed. Several challenges and completely overwhelming victories later, he settled himself down by his human Pack member's left shoulder. The cuddles and petting were his rightful due, and none of his minions were allowed to fight him for it.

Luckily there were two shoulders, and therefore he didn’t have to battle Light. She handled her challenges the same way he did with quick, efficient victories. Neither of them was willing to give up their thrones for those weaker, as in the Pack, strength was an important qualification.

Closing his eyes, Shadow enjoyed the long rest with Eve. His dreams were filled with delicious fried chicken dumplings that couldn’t escape his wrath. Being awoken by the human floating out to do her daily morning rituals, he saw one of the Grandmaster’s minions waiting for him. Through a simple exchange of gestures with Pan, Shadow was informed by the mice that he had only one more opportunity. If he failed to defeat the Grandmaster after breakfast and before lunch, his great victories would be nothing but dust in the wind.

Such terrifying foe, in such a small form. Shadow thought as he munched breakfast down with haste. I must use all my power to defeat the Pan, the Grandmaster, or he will reign unchallenged for another month!

The Pack's elders notified the young that their Den would be moving again during breakfast, but Shadow paid it little heed. Moving was normal, and Big Brother Kudzu could lift the entire Den and transport it with ease. A moving Den was a tough target for other predators, much less one protected by the Green Death. While he didn’t understand Big Brother’s love of bubbling liquids and strange powders, he felt it somehow fit the sentient plant.

Shadow had watched as the living plant ensured the entire territory was free of vermin, both on the ground and those in the sky. A never-ending stream of attackers attempted to steal from the great food bringer Eve’s private garden. Unfortunately for them, Big Brother Kudzu made sure they never got a second chance.

Shadow had seen everything from floating deer to winged insects, and they all met their end without fail. It was an eye-opening experience for the young wolf, which demonstrated plants could be extremely lethal predators, too.

Arriving at the prepared game board once more, Shadow sat on his haunches. Slowly his future Pack surrounded him, with Light taking his right side once again. With a gesture from the Grandmaster, the battle started once more.

This time, Shadow was fully prepared for the demonic enemy’s strategy. It was clear from the way his opponent played that the plan depended completely on rushing. Units were rushed to attack early, forces were created fast and dispatched faster, Shadow did everything from the first move to the end with the speed of dark.

Shadow countered with airtight defenses. Rushing units from Pan's forces were countered by golem's of Shadow set within his own entrenched units, towers fought back waves, and specialists assassinated enemy leader units. He played a very different game from the last one, building his advantages and creating tiered defenses that strangled the foe.

In the end, the Grandmasters found himself encircled from all sides, his resources robbed, his wave tactics melted, and all his bases belonged to Shadow. When the last enemy unit fell, Shadow said, “Good game. However, all your bases belong to me.”

Pitiful squeaks from the Grandmaster met his declaration.

“As agreed, the title of Grandmaster transfers to me.” Shadow said, his face calm.

Big Brother Kudzu’s most powerful minion, Pan, the most proficient mouse in Elemental Air, nodded sadly. Consoled by his mousey brethren, the no-longer-Grandmaster floated up to a vine before disappearing.

Light nuzzled him affectionately before saying, “Excellent work. I knew that sloppy game from yesterday couldn’t be anything but a trick. You were learning the opponent’s strategy and gambling the Eve would rescue you.”

“It worked, this time.” Shadow said, his eyes happy before he said, “However, that mouse is a terrifying foe. I doubt next month will be such an easy victory. Pan is no pushover like Big Brother Kudzu’s other minions. His mind is like a vacuum absorbing any knowledge it can. I know with utter certainty he will have a counter-strategy ready within a month.”

“However, for the next month, Eve’s special snacks are completely ours!” Light said, grinning jubilantly.

“Mine.” Shadow said with a look.

“Ours.” Light said, her eyes glowing fiercely.

“Ours, of course.” Shadow said, looking away. It was unbecoming of him to fight his future mate on such a minor issue.

“Now, to decide the order of who gets to snack first!” Light said, turning to their minions. Shadow turned as well, nodding. There were no free snacks without a battle for supremacy involved.

As the other members of his future Pack charged at him, and his future mate, Shadow grinned fiercely. There was no chance that the snacks would go anywhere but into his stomach!

Several battles later, Shadow and Light exited with heads high and tails wagging. Snacks from the human member of the Pack were always a wondrous and luxurious display of culinary delight. Shadow had long pondered if it was perhaps worth learning how to cook. At the moment, he was wavering since the ability to create mouthwatering meals would be valued, even as an Alpha. On the other hand, it would be far easier to have one of his minions learn how to do it instead. That way, he could do Alpha business without having to interrupt it for the creation of meals.

Shadow placed those ideas on the back burner for later.

Following the uncanny senses Light had developed regarding their human Pack member, both young wolves directed their puppy eye look at the Eve. Without fail, their incredible eyes caused Eve to take a critical blow. Moments later, she petted them both and cuddled as snacks cooked and flowed into their mouths from the magic paper food dispensing culinary magic of the great food bringer Eve.

It was a wonderful combination that left everyone happy and seemed to provide the human Pack member with a great deal of joy. Light particularly enjoyed sprawling in Eve’s lap as she sat at the kitchen table, receiving belly rubs and cuddles. Shadow held to his pride and would only do the same when no one else was looking. Finishing the snacks, he licked his chops and followed Light out into the garden run by Big Brother Kudzu.

The garden was a sprawling area that had grown from the previous size. Neat rows of spices, herbs, poisons, and experimental drugs grew tended by a plethora of mice. Every mouse, of every element, contributed in some way to the garden. It was truly a massive undertaking that Kudzu handled with amazing results.

Neither Shadow nor Light was stupid enough to attempt to steal from the garden. While eating the experimental herbs could be amusing, they sometimes had terrifying effects. At one time, Shadow had consumed one that forced him to pass gas for hours. It was one of the few times he hadn’t been allowed back into the Den. Light hadn’t even kept him company during his misery, a betrayal of the highest order in his opinion.

“Our great food bringer Eve is a valued member of the Pack.” Shadow said, commenting as he watched the mice move through the garden tending it with elemental magic.

“Indeed.” Light said, nuzzling him as she sat on her haunches next to him.

“Should we name one of ours after her?” Shadow asked. It was a sign of great respect for a newborn to carry a Name from the Song of the Hunt. Eve had been written into the Song since the first battles against the ancient ferret enemy many months ago. The obliteration of all life in the lake just recently had only added more stanzas to the Song about her. Even if freezing the entire lake and murdering everything in it was a strange way to hunt, it still counted as worth knowing.

“If not her name, then something close to it.” Light nodded, agreeing.

Both looked at the great food bringer as she exited the kitchen door to enter the garden. Eve hummed as she picked up spices and vegetables for dinner.

“Father was brilliant to follow Mudslide.” Shadow said.

“So was mine.” Light agreed.

Basking in comfortable silence, they watched the great food bringer gather the garden's riches for future snacks.