Hello peeps! I just decided to write this Scratch series called the Wolves of Obsidian and this is the next chapter. Enjoy! Cover by @squirrelflight1010! CHAPTER 21 Xgore/violence warningX Swiftflight's paws seemed stuck, rooted to the ground. The world seemed to sway and swirl before her grief-filled eyes. Obsidian's eyes were glazed, even in death she looked ferocious, her venom-glands exposed in a vicious death-snarl. Pheasant looked torn between grief and pure fury. Swiftflight had seen that look in his eyes before. Long ago. "Pheasant..." she warned. But it was too late. Bunching his haunches up behind him, he sprang on the great victorious brute. Bloodsight had just froze there, her raw, pink eyes staring and eerie, almost seeming to glow in the occasional flashes of lightning. Swiftflight was distracted from the albino by a screech from Pheasant and his brothers' direction. It was from Ember, who's ear was being mauled by Pheasant. Blood dripped, thick and sickly from the ripped ear. Not normal blood. Thick, yellowish, infected blood. Swiftflight stared at it for a moment, still stunned stock-still. But she was recovered from her trance by a sharp pain in her paw. She let out a howl and leaped backwards as Ember's toxic blood ran over her paw, burning the flesh and fur, leaving it blackened and singed. Radioactive blood! Swiftflight thought, in a frenzy of fear and shock. The monster has poisonous blood! As Ember managed to tear his brother brutally from his ear with his powerful jaw tugging on the silky male's leg, something, a twitchy, muted movement caught Swiftflight's eye. Obsidian's corpse's ear was twitching, wriggling as if it were alive, with a mind of its own. Slowly, her eyes blinked hazily open. Her jaws closed and her lip wrinkled strongly. Swiftflight couldn't contain her joy and paralyzing awe. "Obsidian!" she yowled. "Our Alpha is alive!" Her voice echoed and rebounded off the jagged borders of the Cliff. Slowly, the surviving DarkPacks turned their blood-stained, noble heads and stared wonderingly at Obsidian, who had staggered to her paws, her eyes narrowed to menacing slits. Cries arose from them: "Alpha is alive!" "We're saved!" "DarkPack can win now we have our Alpha back, alive!" Swiftflight felt her eyes widen determinedly and one paw scrape the ground like a bull moose poised, about to charge. "Let DarkPack reign forever!" she shrieked as she lunged in a wide arc, directly towards Ember. Ember shook off Pheasant, who was currently gnawing on his leg stump and gave a deep rumble as he braced himself. Swiftflight closed her eyes as her claws sank deep into the enemy's flesh, ripping down to the bone. As the Alpha yet out a sky-cracking, otherwordly roar of pure defiance and agony, Swiftflight felt herself being lifted up, up and flung off the beast's head. She smashed into a rock head-first. Stars exploded in her head and her eyes rolled right back up into her skull. "No," she rasped, "you cannot win Ember. Give up before Obsidian kills you." Ember wrinkled his lip at her, then his eyes narrowed to alarming slits as he realized what Swiftflight's words meant. As Swiftflight crumpled onto the ground, her flanks lifting and falling with small, panting breaths, that was when Obsidian leaped. She leaped high into the air, flying high, high into the sky. At that moment, a huge bolt of lightning lit up the sky, casting a shadow on Obsidian. The shadow was not her own. It was one of a lithe, powerful, sleek warrior wolf, teeth as sharp and as long as knives, claws as long and as lethal as a tiger's. Through Swiftflight's failing brain came a realisation so sudden and sharp it was like a bolt of lightning itself. Obsidian, Swiftflight thought faintly. My Alpha. She is a Lunar Warrior. Not some wolf born with incredible powers. She is one of the strongest and lethal creatures alive. And... Her heart thumped slower and slower as she realized as well. That only means... the reason Ember hates Obsidian so much is that he... she swallowed. Ember is a Shadow Warrior. As the two once-wolves clashed, jaws snapping, claws slashing, throats shrieking, Swiftflight finally felt the world dim around her and she sank into exploding stars and flashes of light. I have to warn you. One of the Battle for the Beta contestants will die. But who will it be?
Check out Ch 22!
