"So Citrus, do you still have the newspaper?" Wasting asked. Swillow groaned and got flat to the ground. Crystal walls, six feet high, confined them. Minutes ago, the queen left. She posted no guards cockily.

Their escape plans never turned to attempts, except once. Wasting took a shot flooding the cage, but didn't have enough magical energy to get more than a few inches in.

Citrus told Wasting, "I don't have a newspaper on me, unfortunately."

"She's always causing these problems," Wasting muttered. "She's been doing this since I've known her." Swillow perked up, and questioned the fairness of the verdict. Correct, her impulsiveness led to negative situations. And true, that's what caused this. But she followed her impulses, her gut instinct.

Swillow muttered, "Gynger would have came with me."

Citrus shook her head. Snofall tilted her head, not sure who Gynger was. "She's my sister," Citrus told her, noticing her confusion.

Swillow sat in a corner with Snofall. "You can fill the cell with frost."

"I've had more airflow in a motel than in this desert. It's over eighty degrees. Snow wouldn't last long enough. Plus, we'd all get buried."

"It doesn't have to last long. I thought Ascended possessed vast amounts of magic, easily enough for a small downpour. Is it still a downpour if it's ice and not rain?"

"That magic is still limited," Snofall said, snarling. "I'll wait for the coyotes to return, and if they try anything, I can crush them with my ice powers." She whispered, "Also, everybody's going at you pretty hard for messing up."

"You understand why I did it, right?" Swillow said and gave her a charming wink. But she got no positive look in return.

"Okay, so first you save me, which made me grateful. I thought you guys would be cool. Then you attacked me, and you're also a murderer. You've never explained anything about that. But then you go and keep blaming Wasting for everything, and now you're supposedly not that dangerous. You're only a void wolf with one trick, and that's draining life energy with your teeth."

Swillow glanced off at the sun. "When you put it that way, it doesn't make me sound good. That's a poor light to cast."

"Swillow, let me be plain. I think you're a moron and cause most of our problems. Leave me the hell alone and don't talk to me again."

Swillow recoiled from that stinging remark. While meek, Snofall maintained a kind atmosphere, usually. Citrus and Wasting couldn't shock her with that line, but Snofall easily could. But the eight foot wide barrier didn't permit distance enough for her to escape scorn.

But they told her the truth. She caused the situation. Her style of engaging and interrogating others disturbed their peace, which was the intention. It threw Tanzanato off guard, and threw Khrystol off guard, but one almost ended in her death, and the other might conclude with finishing her off. Discarding the tactic seemed an obvious solution.

Snofall said, "I think I'm going to leave you all once this is done, if we survive what Swillow did." Wasting and Citrus' mouths dropped open. "This isn't worth it, and you're all terrible people, in all ways. Murders." She looked at Swillow. "Thieves." Look at Citrus. "And betrayers," Final look at Wasting.

Citrus gave her a sickly sweet smile, and said, "Now look at you, trying to stand up for yourself. Despite the fact you're the shadiest of us all."

Snofall raised an eye, and shook her head. "How am I shady, when your family is a bunch of criminals? You ever heard of projection?"

"Yes, and I recognize when someone is using it. You haven't been willing to tell us anything about your past, yet you want Swillow to tell you about hers?" Citrus stood over Snofall, towering her by several feet. "How about the fact you stayed with us?" Citrus' grin cracked into a frown.

"I already told you, I thought you were cool. I can be wrong too," Snofall said, but turned her head away as she slipped as far as she could into the corner.

"I'm not stupid and I wasn't born yesterday. It's pretty clear to me you're hiding something too. Why is it you waited so long to tell us you were an Ascended?"

"I don't have to tell you anything," Snofall said. "Besides, the fact I'm an Ascended is something pertaining only to I, not to you."

"I would imagine you're the Ascended of Winter, right?" Citrus said. "It took me some time to put two and two together, but you're supposed to be in Voto, not Vytyl."

"So what's your point? I move around sometimes," Snofall said. "It's not like I have a divine post or outlook I have to be at."

"You know a lot about Vycious. 'some say you know a lot about history like you were there', remember that line? I never forgot it."

Wasting and Swillow exchanged glances as Citrus invaded the kingdom of secrets. Now each question opened up a new door for them to enter, but it didn't matter as Citrus already forced all to the light.

"So, we meet you coincidentally near Canida, and you get caught in a trap. Seems like someone might be a hyena sympathizer." Citrus walked around Snofall.

"You don't even care about Canida," Snofall said, turning her head away. "So why would you get onto me about possibly being a hyena spy or something?"

"Because I'm somebody who would care about that," Wasting said, growling as he approached her. Snofall couldn't squeeze herself any further into the corner. Her eyes nearly popped out of her skull as Citrus menaced her.

"You only used us to get closer to your leaders, didn't you?" Wasting asked. "You wanted me to take you to the queen, isn't that right?"

"I'm not a spy, I swear," Snofall said, standing up straight. Wasting put his face only an inch away from hers, making her stare deeply into his deep blue eyes.

"If you want to leave, then you have every right to. But when you do, you know what will happen?" Wasting said. She pressed the side of her skull against the crystals, and he pressed his snout against her cheek.

"STOP!" Wasting retracted his snout, and stared at Swillow, who's outburst echoed for miles. Citrus and Wasting gave bemused looks as Snofall shivered and sat down.

"She's right," Swillow said. "This was all my fault, and we need to remember that. She's scared of me, and she's not a spy, otherwise she'd smell a lot more like hyena. We need to stop this witch hunt of who's right and wrong, and we need to focus on the actual picture, which is we're about to get killed by coyotes."

Wasting backed off from Snofall. "You're right, I guess we should focus on that. So we wait around until they return and take out as many as we can?"

"There's only the three coyotes, I think," Swillow said. "Along with a bunch of violats. But I think we need to prepare to negotiate with them."

"We won't have time to prepare," Wasting said, and pointed to the horizon. "You can see them already coming."

*

The pack of coyotes gathered in a private area behind a hill. "What should we do?" the dark brown coyote asked. Moist air and salt masked their scents.

The queen, Khrystol, glanced at the light brown coyote, Poinsiet. "I don't know, but do you have any ideas on what to do?"

Poinsiet shook her head and glanced at her brother. "I don't know, but Spar do you have any ideas on what to do?"

Fayldspar shook his head. "I don't know, but ocean?" He glanced out the ocean. "Do you have any ideas on what to do?"

A fish flopped out of the ocean and Khrystol said, "Guess we could make them fish for us. And if they don't do it right, we'll threaten to eat them."

"I don't think we should be eating a fellow draconic," Poinsiet said. "You haven't been drinking the seawater again, have you?"

"I know how to filter the salt out," Khrystol said, snapping at Poinsiet. But Poinsiet only waved her backpaw.

Fayldspar said, "I'm pretty lazy, so I think this whole making them fish for us solution is spot on." He stretched with his butt in the air, and Khrystol gave it a quick whack. She received a look back, but only returned a sly smirk. He collapsed onto his side.

Poinsiet took a dignified repose by sitting down, and pointing her snout upwards. "I, for one, believe if we let others do the fishing for us, we'll lose our ability to do it."

"That's not going to happen," Khrystol said, putting a paw on her shoulder. "We'd have to know how to fish first to lose our ability to do it."

Fayldspar rolled onto his back. "Perv's got a point." Khrystol raised a brow. "The only reason we get enough food and water is because we raid villages in South Torn. Or Crimsons in North Torn." It wasn't hard to understand why Crimsons didn't like Draconics.

Khrystol said, "So we're all decided. Two to one vote. We make them get food for us. Might even have them start doing the raids."

Poinsiet said, "And call them the Raiders, that'd be a nice idea. Unless their pack already has a name to it."

Khrystol came over the hill, and the other two followed suit. The prisoners warily glanced at the trio, but Khrystol said, "We do not intend to harm you. Not yet at least." The wolves refused to stand down. "Instead, I am here to propose a deal. You fish for us, and we don't kill you."

Swillow laughed at Khrystol. "You think we're afraid of three coyotes with some fancy magics?" Khrystol tapped the ground, and a crystal shard came within an inch of Swillow's throat. With a blink, Swillow said, "So what kind of fish do you want?"

"That's more like it! Do you see what we can accomplish if we all get along?" Khrystol asked. She called off the crystal walls, watching them descend back to the earth where they belonged. The leader, Citrus, approached.

"I don't think you understand. My name is Citrus Snow, and we're going to South Torn, and we're taking boats to our respective destinations."

Khrystol stood a full foot taller than Citrus. The queen was almost as tall as Swillow, in fact. "I would warn you to watch yourself, little wolf." She patted Citrus on the head, but Citrus bit down on Khrystol's paw. Khrystol grit her teeth, and knocked her down with a powerful blow to the ribs.

"Citrus!" Swillow shouted as she ran over. Poinsiet and Spar intercepted, knocking her to the ground, placing paws on her back.

Citrus arose, winded but still moving. "That all you got, bitch?" Khrystol growled, and knocked her down with a second rib slap. But Wasting headbutted Khrystol's side, and took her down.

The coyotes retreated as Swillow lit up in flames. Khrystol howled and pushed against Wasting, but a gust of wind threw Khrystol backwards. Snofall stood with a serene look. Nearby air cooled, and the salty, moist air condensed into crystals.

Capitalizing, Swillow converged on Khrystol, tackling her to the floor. Snofall's display continued with blue aura surrounding her form. Crystals fused in the air to create snow, and the flakes cascaded to the ground, frosting the grass in dew.

Khrystol stood up, growling. "Cool magician display," Khrystol admitted. "But I think we've got a few neater tricks."

Poinsiet patted the snow. A whip shot from the snow, and covered Wasting's legs. He gasped, tried jerking his legs back, but Poinsiet dragged him into the snow. Fayldspar jumped onto Poinsiet, took a second leap, and bellyflopped onto Wasting. Wasting cringed and lost his breath.

Swillow looked at her brother, expression tad worried, but Khrystol bit her arm and dragged her to the ground. Kicking, Swillow examined escape opportunities. She called upon her flame armor to burn Khrystol on contact, but Khrystol countered with an armor of pink rocks.

Citrus ran at Poinsiet, and Poinsiet launched several blasts of ice, some shards stabbing into Citrus' shoulders. Citrus fell and couldn't get back up.

Snofall ran at the three coyotes, a vapor trail coming for her tail's tip. This vapor came in several colors, which consumed her and basked her in vivid purples, oranges, and soon all the colors of the northern lights.

Khrystol found herself mesmerized as she saw the Ascended of Winter in action. This rare sight she may never see again. "The Fox Fire and the Northern Lights," she muttered.

A violat speared Snofall, shoulder to gut. This violent conclusion flipped Snofall over several times before she crashed butt first onto the ground. Wincing, Snofall arose, but her northern light aura dissipated.

Khrystol said, "You mutts couldn't even beat me at your best. You don't have the numbers, nor the synchronocity."

Violats, and the coyotes, tossed the losers to Khrystol. "Isn't this sad to see, how a Snow, a goddess, and a void wolf have fallen? Not to mention this outcast?" She pointed to Wasting, and Wasting blinked.

Poinsiet said, "I think we're getting lots of fishies today. Probably will need them, as I burned a lot of calories in this fight."

Khrystol muttered, "Go ahead and force them to fish. I'll have to think of their punishments for what they did." She walked off with only a few thoughts in her head.

*

Fish heads broke the water's surface, and fireballs sniped them. Swillow roamed the coast, roasting and toasting, and picking up each burnt fish in her jaws. For the community service aspect of her punishment, she had to take them to a mound of nearly one hundred fish. A pile which diminished overtime considering her voraciousness.

They reached the current goal, with enough for leftovers. When the sun grazed the ocean, Swillow noticed the lack of a couple of figures, the figures in a couple.

"Where have Citrus and Wasting gone?" Swillow asked Snofall, only to get an annoyed look back. Dumb question, it was clear.

Swillow got flat on the ground, paws crossed over each other. "I still don't get what she sees in him, but if I'm being honest, maybe he's not that bad."

With a hint of suspicion, Snofall asked her, "What makes you say that? Considering you always talk poorly of him."

"Maybe he is genuinely changing? After all, he did save me after I almost broke my skull," Swillow said. "I have to give him credit for that."

"So how about you tell me more about this whole murdering aspect to you? If you tell me, then I promise to stay, because I know I can at least trust you."

"Fair enough, and then you tell me your secrets," Swillow said, and Snofall gave her a nod in return. "Wasting and I used to be police officers in Canida. Wasting told me I had a mission to find a jackal who had been murderous. I found her, and in the struggle, I ripped her throat out. Cue Wasting coming in with the rest of the guard, and they accused me of murdering in cold blood."

"But wait, you were supposed to murder her because she was a murderer," Snofall said. Second ticked by, and realization shone, earning a nod from Swillow.

"That's when I was confused, but I got chased off. I was in denial about what happened. Maybe I got the wrong jackal, or maybe there had been some magic at work. It wasn't until my then-boyfriend Dyrian came that he told me the truth. Wasting sold me out, and got a promotion. So that's the story."

"That's awful to hear about, and I'm so sorry," Snofall said, shaking her head. "I thought you were scary, but you're actually pretty sympathetic."

Swillow said, "Apparently not that sympathetic. Soon as I was told, I ran. I didn't know what to do, so I took a boat, and met the Corruptor. Citrus and Gynger found me half-dead on the beach and tried to rob me so I fought back."

With the new information, Snofall made an assessment, and said, "Wasting and Citrus are a couple of thugs. We should teach them a lesson, we should fight them."

"You think so, right?" Swillow asked, not understanding Snofall was blowing smoke at her. "What are you thinking?"

"Got to dominate the territory to gain respect and ruling. You have to beat them in a fight. Such as if you want a male, you have to fight a rival female to claim said man."

"Then if I beat the most dominate woman, I have the right to any males," Swillow asked, thinking about the implications. "I think I like that." She nodded and snacked on a spare fish. "But you still need to tell me your secret."

"Wait, you mean the Northern lights?" Swillow would say no, instead she was seeking information about Vycious. But Swillow nodded, figuring this secret was as juicy. "That's a special move only my counterpart and I can do. It's called For Fire for her, Northern Lights when I do it."

Swillow considered her best magic. The Bitter End, in which she bit someone and drained their life energy as if sucking on a lollipop. But it could only affect one individual at a time, not many. "So what's it do?"

"I don't think I can tell you," she said. "It's not something you're likely to ever see again since I doubt we'll be running into a bunch of coyotes again."

Swillow said, "I don't think you understand what's been happening the past few days. We'll be lucky to escape this situation alive considering we have three enemy factions. So, why haven't you used it before today?"

"I can only use it, or attempt to use it so many times," Snofall said. "I completely drained my magic by trying it today. It requires a few special conditions to use, but is impactful when it hits."

"So can you teach me how to use it?" Swillow gave her a quick grin. Snofall visibly thought it over, exciting the wolf. But she shook her head. The hyperactive wolf pouted.

In a way, the packs evolution over the course of a few weeks amused Swillow. Previously, Swillow frightened Snofall, now their friendship status reached prime levels. Meanwhile, only a few weeks prior, Swillow's best friend was Citrus, only for her to replace Swillow with Wasting. Something she meant to address.

Maybe she should address it right now. This was a new era, where Citrus was no longer the leader. For once, Swillow would fight and earn leadship over the pack.

"I'm going to take this pack by storm, Snofall," Swillow said. "You are about to see the birth of a new leader." She ran off, and Snofall followed. Swillow was prepared to do anything to beat Citrus for the title of queen.

*

Within a seclusion of hills, Wasting created a display. Rocks formed a heart shape, and inside that heart were five fishes. Wasting rested on his side, giving bedroom eyes to Citrus.

Citrus sat down, and smiled. She wasn't the romantic like Wasting. "Five isn't an even number to split, Wasting." But a paw met her mouth, and Wasting bit down on the head of a fish. He presented her the tail, and Citrus bit down, and ripped.

It did not tear evenly. The shard left with Wasting ended in paper-like tears. Almost eighty percent of the portion stuck with Wasting. Citrus raised a brow, and laughed. Wasting admitted, "Didn't think that would happen.

"It's okay, you eat it. I'm not that hungry." Citrus gave him a polite grin, and he shrugged before eating the entire fish, almost slurping it down.

"So," Citrus resumed, staring down. "I've been thinking about it. I think maybe I've been a bit harsh with Swillow. She messes up, but fighting the coyotes wasn't a good solution either. We should have simply slipped out."

"Can't, there are guarding violats anywhere you go," Wasting said. "But I do think you could have been a bit nicer."

"I thought you would defend me and say I was already being plenty nice, Wasting," Citrus said. Wasting raised an eye, and Citrus groaned.

"Not at all, you don't exactly give her much respect. That's one thing coming from me because not only am I her brother, she already hates my guts. But as for you, you're supposed to be her friend, and I would expect a certain amount of loyalty." Wasting ate his second fish.

Citrus poked at one of her fish. "Seriously Wasting, you don't have to be so direct. Still, I guess I have to thank you. I'll apologize to her later tonight."

"That's all you can do. I still try to be nice when I'm talking to somebody that's on the force I was on." Citrus blinked at the past tense from Wasting. Soon as he got the look from Citrus, Wasting rectified his statement. "You know, the force I'm still on."

Citrus would have probed further, but slipping on tenses happened. Instead, it was easier to sneak her way towards the truth in the conversation. "So, Wasting, have you been fired." Sometimes, however, it was easier to go at it like Swillow.

Wasting told her, "I might be getting fired. You can't simply miss work for several days without any good reason. If I may expose the hyena queen, they'll probably still tell me I can't work anymore, and I'll have to get a different job."

"You should think about your future," Citrus said. "You can't risk losing your job, that's the only thing you've got."

Wasting cringed his face up. "Okay, to make sure, you mean, that's the only thing I have financially, right?"

Citrus said, "I am not something that can feed you. I don't even taste that good." She sniffed her wrist and licked it. "So as you can see, that didn't taste even mildly good."

"How about you take a taste of me?" Wasting asked, and Citrus smirked at him. She walked over the rock heart and stood over him.

Wasting told her, "Citrus, I love you, and I think I always will." He sniffed at her neck, and she sniffed at his.

"Wasting, you keep me stable even when I plan to snap. So let the next person who interrupts us be struck dead." She descended to him.

"HALT YOUR PENII IN THE NAME OF LOVE!" The two lovers, freaked officially the hell out, jumped up as cats did, and stared at the source of the commotion. It was, obviously, the giant black and red wolf running at them, full dart.

She stopped herself, and skidded at them, tearing up ground along the way. "None of you shall make love until my challenge has been met, do you both understand that?"

"I only have one peeny," Wasting said as he thought about Swillow. "You do know you don't have a peeny, right?"

Citrus told Wasting, "Shut your mouth right now, I'm about to kill your sister." Let the next person be struck dead she repeated in her head.

"I AM QUEEN SWILLOW!" she said in a booming voice, and the coyotes and Snofall came over the hill. Considering the meek expression, Citrus understood who gave Swillow the new idea on being queen. She gave a quick growl to Snofall, who dropped onto her back to expose her belly. Wasting faced Swillow with a light blush.

"So, you are issuing a challenge, right?" Wasting asked. He circled her, ready to jump. "I guess it finally comes down to this, the final fight between you and I. This is all about the king and the queen, about the battle for dominancy."

"That's right, which is why Citrus and I will be fighting." She approached Citrus, and both stood almost nose to nose, about less than an inch apart. "It will be grueling, and it will be standard rules of Vytyl, and the winner WILL GET MY BROTHER'S LOINS."

Wasting's jaw dropped, and Snofall understood fully what Swillow took away from their conversation. Citrus bit her lip, and thought it over.

Citrus said, "Swillow, I was thinking about apologizing to you, but how about instead of that, I murder you?"