The Shadows Book One: The War for EarthEnd.

Chapter Thirteen - Bleeding Rage.

Liki Wolfspirit.

Liki cut through his fifteenth target easily just as Blackpaw threw his third kunai into the face of an Anubian fighting a Atavian some distance behind them perfectly.

"Don't use all of them all at once Blackpaw!" Liki shouted over the noise of battle while he sidestepped a swinging blade, a trial of purple smoke following him in his Shadow Form. He spun, giving his student an opening on the owner of the large sword. Blackpaw reached out with his hands, gripping and quickly stabbing a kunai into the Anubian's face and withdrawing as Liki continued to move, stabbing another nearby Anubian before jumping back to surround himself with as many allied soldiers as possible.

"I'm trying not to!" Blackpaw returned, his voice shaking. He was very nervous and afriad, but he had faith that his Master would keep him safe. He was acting on instinct more than clear thought, a desire to live; Fight or Flight and flight was apparently not an option.

"Just watch my back and ignore distant targets unless it's to save someone! The more someone lasts, the more use they are!" Liki blocked a sword with his daggers, straining and snarling against the angry glare of yet another Anubian. They were everywhere! There was no way the camp would survive this in a good way, they were much too unprepared and inexperianced with war.

_I can't...give in though! _Liki growled and heaved against the Anubian with as much strength his adolescent muscles and magic could give him, pushing and pushing him until he was half leaning over the Beast, his blue eyes and dark form finally scaring the Anubian.

"Liki!" Blackpaw yowled and the older Fangren instantly spun and side-stepped. A blade flashed acrossed his vision to impale the Anubian he had locked blades with. At that same time, an arrow struck the owner of the weapon and the two Beasts fell atop of each other.

Liki glanced to his left to see the black furred Fangren Druid who had saved Blackpaw yesturday, a bow in hand and a quiver of arrows strapped onto his back. The leaves on the vines that covered him blew in the wind along with his meager lioncloth, leaving little to the imagination. He quickly drew another arrow, his red eyes glowing brightly as the tip of the arrow glowed green with Wind Type magic, aiming at Liki.

"Hey what are you-" Liki started when the black Fangren released the arrow and it went just past his head at a high speed thanks to the wind magic, and imbedded itself in the body of a Anubian that had been behind him while Blackpaw had been distracted looking at the druid as well. The area was clear now, Liki had finished off most of the invaders that had been there earlier and the defending soldiers seemed to be rallying now with the best they could give.

Liki blinked in surprise and breathed a sigh of relief while the druid ran up to him, "Pay attention, things are getting worse and worse and you're our best hope at the moment."

"What about Steel and the others?" Liki asked him, his voice echoing with his Shadow Form's effects.

The black wolf pointed to their side, at another major conflict, "That's where most of the fighting is. Steel, Cyro, Pyrefox, and Cammy are lending most of the support. We're on the edge of the conflict right now."

"Well then let's get into it more. We have to push them back and-"

"Not so fast Shadow Terror!" A loud and raging voice shouted and Liki and the druid jumped away from each other right when a large body dashed in between them.

Liki crouched to catch himself on the ground after a hard burst of wind hit him. Blackpaw gasped and his body hit Liki's hard in aftershock.

That would've flattened me!

The assaulent made a sluggish turn while still running at an incredable speed, aiming for Liki, who recognized his attacker as a male Aquari with a huge build of muscle who gave off an untangible air of blood-lust. Blackpaw was already acting, and flung a kunai over Liki's shoulder. The throwing weapon sped toward the otter, who merely only rasied a hand and let the knife hit it, laughing hysterically.

"Is that ALL YOU GOT?!" He roared and put his arm foward to ram Liki.

Liki rolled to the side while Blackpaw hung on to his neck again, just barely dodging the charge and jumping up to stand beside his new druid ally again while the otter made another sluggish turn around, his rampage unstoppable while he bowled over anything his way.

"What the heck is he doing?" Liki huffed, panting.

"He's a Beserker, a unigue form of Warrior that can't feel pain when they enter a certain state."

"Wouldn't that make him a zombie?" Liki joked.

The black Fangren didn't laugh, only staring at Liki with a raised eyebrow.

"So what do we do to stop his charging?" Liki asked instead.

The druid armed his bow and drew back the arrow, the tip glowing green once more with his eyes glowing red, "You give him something to force him to."

He let go and the arrow flew at an almost untrackable speed, hitting the beserk otter before he could react. The Beast hit the ground and did a long skid, occasionly doing a roll before skiding on his face even more until he came to a stop at Liki and the druids feet.

Liki waited a moment in odd silence, and tapped the body with his Shadow covered foot.

"That's it huh?" Liki blinked, looking up to the druid's eyes, "Well thanks for showing up when you did. I wouldn't have known what to do. I'm Liki by the way, Liki Wolfspirit. You're the druid who saved my student a few days ago. Thanks for that."

"I think you said thank you plenty of times before," The druid stated plainly, but held out his hand. A vine of leaves dangled off his wrist and he said, "I'm Kaz Wolfclaw, self trained druid."

"No Master?" Liki asked surprised.

Kaz shook his head, "No. There's no time now to explain who I am or how I trained myself, we have to go help the main fight."

Liki nodded and both of them began to run toward the other conflict, but stopped when they heard a unearthly chuckling. They turned slowly while the otter picked himself up from the ground, the arrow imbedded into his chest. His grin caused Liki's eyes to widen and Blackpaw to whimper. Kaz merely stood with no clear sign as to how he felt while the otter grasped the shaft of the arrow and ripped it from his flesh with a grunt.

The Aquari took a deep breath of air and groaned pleasingly, the hole in his chest bleeding a trail of red down his body, "That's the first time I've seen arrows used with magic like that. It took me off quard, was faster than normal arrows." It seemed he really did feel no pain from the wound.

"I told you to wait brother." Liki and Kaz spun to find yet another large otter behind them, except this one was female. Her eyes had the same look of blood-lust and a senical grin was split across her face though.

"I'm sorry Jakky, I couldn't wait any longer." The male said and stuck his fingers into his wound and tasted his own blood.

"You're lucky you're nearly invincible Skip, that might have done me in."

Liki looked back and forth between the two otters while they conversed, with him in the middle of them both. "Who are you?"

The female otter was the one to answer him, "We? We are Skip and Jaklya, the two bio-weapons of the Anubian army."

"Bio-weapons...?" Kaz whispered, his stare never showing any fear or emotion.

"We were breed for battle, our very birth was simulated and our upbringing made to stimulate and nourish our natural rage and blood-lust rather than detour it. From the moment we were born we were taught to kill without thought or mercy or remorse. Taught that war was the only source of pleasure in the world. We are in every aspect the best of the best in the Anubian army."

"So you're their ultimate weapons?" Liki grumbled, not sure if he was meant to be impressed.

"We are." Skip added, "We make sure the warriors like you, Shadow Terror, don't get in the way and are destroyed."

"This druid here is a threat as well," Jaklya stated and Kaz crouched with his bow in hand in a defensive reaction, "He'll have to go too. The rest of the soldiers can wipe out the puny weaklings of this resistence by themselves then. We want a challenge."

Liki grinned, "You want a challenge eh?" Liki leveled his right hand with the female otter and pointed his dagger at her, "The power of Shadows is where you'll find it." His voice echoed to make the point more so.

Jaklya grinned, "Very well. A fight worthy of me."

"Oh yes!" Skip yelled, clapping his hands together, "Me too!"

"Skip, you fight the druid."

The male otter jumped, frowning greatly, "What!? Come on sista! I want to fight him." He pointed at Liki.

"I won't survive the druid's arrows. I'll fight the rogue and his little backpack companion, you keep this other Fangren distracted with your charges so he can't shoot me."

Skip pouted and crossed his hands, "Whatever...this ain't fun no more..."

Now Kaz did show a bit of emotion, growling and drawing an arrow and pointing it at Jaklya who only looked at him. The tip of the arrow glowed green while he snarled, "Never give away your weakness." He began drawing the bowstring.

And was flattened underneath Skip's sudden charge.

"Kaz!" Liki shouted and kneeled. Skip stopped beside his sister, sneering gleefully.

"I take that back, it's fun to run him over."

Liki ignored him, "Kaz are you okay?"

Kaz coughed and began picking himself up off the ground, a fiant greenish glow surroudning his body and healing him, "I'm fine. Don't worry about my injuries. As a druid I can heal myself."

Liki nodded but helped Kaz stand up anyway before letting go and taking his fighting stance, staring at Jaklya while she held her hands in front of herself and balled them into fists. She was going to fight barehanded?

Her choice. Liki shrugged inwardly and charged. The Aquari waited and Skip rushed past him to charge at Kaz and Liki's two daggers met his opponents hands when he reached her and lashed out. Her hands gripped the blades, blood pouring onto the ground from her clentched fists while she grinned crazily and began to spin while holding onto his daggers.

"Liki!" Blackpaw yowled and his arm clung around his Master's neck tightly, yet the momentum was slowly causing him to lose his grip.

"Hang on!" Liki focused and a blast of Shadow magic shot out from his body and hit Jaklya. Jaklya yelled and lost her hold, flinging both the Fangren through the air. Liki spun in the air to right himself, but Blackpaw was not prepared. He slipped out of the backpack, lost his grip on Liki's neck, and fell to the ground with a thud.

"Blackpaw!" Liki yowled, still flying through the air. It would be a few more seconds before he hit the ground, and Jaklya stopped spinning and noticed the small boy in between them. She started dashing at the stunned wolf just as Liki hit the ground.

"You're mine!" She cackled manically.

No! Liki screamed in his head and began dashing foward, but Jaklya was already halfway to Blackpaw and her speed equaled his.

Deperation filled Liki and his Flame Mark glowed and burned his left hand.

I'm not going to make it!!!

His hand felt like it was on fire and his mind raced. I can't let Blackpaw die! I won't!

Liki gripped his head in sudden agony while running, feeling the Elemental raging inside him as he was so close to breaking his promise. "Gahhhh! Blackpawwww!!!" He howled.

A surge of sudden power filled him and his Flame Mark's glow brigthened to another level. Liki's eyes snapped open and he waved his hands, twin columns of purple colored flames each about twelve feet long exploding forth from his palms, flying in a circlular pattern toward Jaklya.

"Stay away from him!" Liki shouted and the flames hit the otter with full force, pushing her into the air and going vertical, then turning around to carry her toward the battle raging behind them between the Anubians and the other soldiers of the camp. The purple fire carried Jaklya into the midst of the battle before slamming her into the ground and exploding, covering the battle with its firey, purple colored embrace.

Oddly though, the fire did not hurt the defenders, seeming to conciously target and engulf only the Anubians, burning them alive. Their screams filled the air, and Liki finally reached Blackpaw and kneeled.

"Blackpaw..." He whispered and stroked his student's fur, his Flame Mark dimming and its burning fading as the child stirred, "Are you okay?"

"Liki?" The white wolf groaned and opened his eyes to look at him wearily, "What did you just do?"

"You're okay!" Liki gasped. He pulled the boy up to a sitting position and hugged him.

"Jaklya!" Liki's eyes widened at the yell and he pulled Blackpaw across the ground quickly. A rush of air ruffled his fur while the male otter dashed past him. Skip bowled over the stunned soldiers and crushed Anubians while they burned to death. The otter found his sister's unconcious body and picked it up quickly while he ran. Before anyone could really go after him, Skip was running up the hill with Jaklya in his arms, stopping once at the top to shout angerly.

"You will DIE! All of you WILL DIE!" With that the otter turned and ran off.

Liki sighed, returning to hugging Blackpaw, his eyes closed tightly. His student returned the hug, and they stayed in each other's embrace as the cheering of victory began to erupt behind them and Kaz walked up to them, holding his arm with a glowing green hand as he healed an injury and cleaned blood off his fur.

"I'm glad you did that..." Kaz whimpered, "I was being overwhelmed. He just kept coming, as soon as I would shoot him he would rip the arrow out of his body and just keep charging, hitting me and hitting me. Then you did...that...what was that?"

Liki shook his head, trying to hold Blackpaw closer to him, "I don't know...I just reacted, I couldn't let Blackpaw die...I promised I would make us both a family we could be proud and happy in..."

"Liki!" PyreFox's voice yelled, and Liki turned his head a bit to see him, Cammy, Steel and Cyro all running towards them, their armor dented and a few scracthes and bruises on their faces.

"You did it! That was amazing! Shadows and Pyre Magic put together! The fire burned while the Shadows targeted the Anubians and guided it without you having to focus on doing that yourself!" The orange furred Fox said in excitement, "You decimated the entire invasion force with that one spell!"

"It was very impressive." Steel nodded.

"We can take back the city afterall!" Cyro added.

Liki shivered, sniffling, and he growled lowly, causing everyone to stare at him and to fall silent.

"You're all going to count on me then eh? Let me and Blackpaw do all the work?" He snarled, still holding Blackpaw who whined and hid his face in Liki's chest, but his breathing was slow and heaving as the child cried silently. He had nearly died, and Liki had saved him using the sudden burst of power his Flame Mark had provided to protect his promise. His Master would have never been able to save him if it hadn't been for the Flame Mark.

Cammy was suddenly beside him, "Liki of course not, we'll all do it together...but..." Cammy was being kind, she knew better than to think Liki or Blackpaw was up to doing anything after nearly losing each other. "If you need time to recover, you can have some while we prepare."

"Whoa wait a moment," Steel interuptted hotedly, "We should strike while the iron is hot, while that otter is out of commision and their forces have lost thier reinforcements. They're weaker now and-" Steel stopped when Cyro's hand was suddenly on his shoulder.

The white fox looked at his friend, who slowly shook his head, still looking at Liki and Blackpaw huddled together. Steel's chest deflated as he stared at the two Fangren boy's, and noticed Cammy's penetrating and accusing stare.

"Cyro." Steel said sternly, heaving his chest back up with a breath.

"Yes Steel?" The foxen beside him whispered.

"Let's attend to the injured..." Steel answered and spun around.

"Right..." Cyro followed him.

Cammy, PyreFox, and Kaz stood a moment. Kaz was the first to walk away, saying, "I should help heal the wounded...Liki...I'll see you later." Liki didn't respond as the black Fangren walked away, leaving the two Foxen with the two Fangren now.

PyreFox coughed and Cammy rose up, and both the two Foxen nodded and left Liki and Blackpaw alone.

Once they were gone, Blackpaw's crying became very audiable and Liki began to shiver violently as he felt his own tears begin to run down his face.

"Blackpaw...I'm sorry...I...I wasn't strong enough alone..." He whimpered.

Blackpaw only continued to cry, and Liki felt hurt on the inside.

His student knew he had nearly failed, and now he had lost the trust Blackpaw had placed in him so readily.

Both the wolves stayed crying silently until Blackpaw whimpered, taking a deep breath and managing to say, "Liki...you saved me. What you did was...just awesome."

Liki's eyes opened and he blinked stupidly, tearsing running down the sides of his face with each blink. "What?"

Blackpaw leaned away from him a bit to show him a glowing smile through his tears that made Liki's heart twitch, "If you had never got your Flame Mark, you wouldn't have been able to do that. Before you even had it, you made the right decision that would lead to your promise being kept."

Liki kept blinking. Blackpaw was right, if he had not taken the ritual back in Hillside, his Flame Mark would not have activated and provided him with the strength he needed to save Blackpaw. Blackpaw would be dead...and he probably would be too...

He smiled back to Blackpaw, "You don't hate me for nearly failing?"

Blackpaw turned his head to the side, "You can't fail. I think even if you didn't have that power you still would have saved me somehow. I believe in you Liki."

Liki chuckled, closing his eyes and hugging Blackpaw close again, "Thank you Blackpaw...that's what I needed to hear. I was afriad I had let you down."

"I know there's danger Liki," his student whispered, "More than once I'll probably be in big trouble like today, but I know you'll keep me safe and train me so that won't happen very often." He giggled and said, "Now we know not to do backflips in the air at least."

Liki laughed, "That's true."

They stayed silent for awhile after that, just hugging each other close until Blackpaw yawned. Liki fought off his own tired yawn and said, "Let's see if we can find someplace to rest." He picked up Blackpaw and walked into camp.

Cyro took the liberty of giving Liki his own tent, a tent made for generals, saying that everyone was looking up to Liki to get them through this, and he needed the best place to relax he could get. Cyro would take a commanders grade tent instead, he didn't need all that room to himself anyway he told him.

The tent was like the Anubian General's had been back in Earthend. Fifteen feet long and wide, with a large bed and a single desk on one side of the tent, the rest of the space was rather empty.

Liki and Blackpaw were laying together in the bed with the covers over them. They had not taken off their clothing this time however, as the rest of the camp was still right outside the flaps of the tent and any sexual fun would probably be discovered. Blackpaw was already fast asleep though, exhuasted and breathing peacefully while Liki held him close from behind.

The flap of the tent opened and Liki lifted his head a bit to see Kaz standing in the entrance. The black wolf stepped in and let the flap close behind him, and stood staring at Liki.

Liki noticed how toned Kaz's body was, and he got the feeling that Kaz had never been in a house in his life. The wolf was practically a Feral. Besides his lioncloth and vines, and his use of magic, he could pass for one trying to fit into a village without upsetting someone with pure nakedness.

The lioncloth still doesn't hide much... Liki thought when he found his gaze hovering on Kaz's crotch. He could see Kaz's balls hanging lazily when the wolf turned to the desk. Liki felt his cock stir and his body started to feel warm as hormones started taking over a bit.

Kaz broke the spell though, not even looking at Liki as he said, "Staring is rude you know."

Liki closed his eyes and forced his head to turn away, "Sorry."

"It's okay." Kaz told him, and Liki felt Kaz's wieght on the bed when the wolf sat down, "I can actually figure out about your recent..." Kaz's eyes glanced at Blackpaw, "Activities..."

Liki blushed, but he asked, "How?"

"Druidic ability," Kaz shrugged, "We're atune to feelings of love between those around us, and I can tell there's a lot between you and Blackpaw, even back on the hill two days ago. I don't judge you, I'm just letting you know now I can feel it and don't care. It's stronger now than it was back then, so I'm assuming you had sex with him. I take it before it had been something less extreme? Sucking?"

The Fangren looked at Kaz then, not wanting to comment on how accurate the druid was, "You said you were self taught. How?"

"I was a Feral once..." Kaz started and Liki blinked in surprise, his feeling was right too it seemed, "I've tried to wear a little something to appease others and learn about modern life to blend in, but it's obviously not enough. Sometimes I get kicked out of cities and towns for indencency, other times I'm welcomed becuase they support Ferals."

"You're on a journey of your own?"

"Yeah...it takes me in and out of populated places. I had to learn a lot too. I realized early on how horrible we Ferals talk compared to the norm. I self taught myself to speak better while I trained in the druidic arts on my own."

"So...why did you stop being completely Feral?" Liki asked.

"Gaia...gave me a vision when I was young. I'm destined to do something and it would take me through cities and I would meet important people and do important things. I had to take on aspects like this," Kaz flicked his lioncloth with his hand, letting Liki see his sheath just for an instant, "but I still refuse to wear full clothing."

"Good for you." Liki grinned, "This armor is a hell of thing to wear and try to move around in."

"Well you can take it off here you know." Kaz told him, "I snuck in here, but PyreFox seems to have taken upon himself to scare away anyone trying to come by here. I think...he's trying to give you and Blackpaw time...alone."

Liki blinked and paused. So PyreFox was trying to keep everyone away from the tent so he and Blackpaw could do something together and have the privacy. He had went from opposing to supporting his and Blackpaw's relationship.

Wish I had known about that earlier.

"Tell him thanks." Liki whispered, and he stroked Blackpaw's chest with his hands wrapped around the boy, who smiled and murred in his sleep a bit, "But I think the opprotunity passed a long time ago."

"Actually...there is something I wanted to ask myself." The black wolf started and paused.

"What's that?" the gray wolf looked at him again.

"Do you think I can sqeeze in behind you there?" Kaz pointed at the end of the bed.

Liki grinned, and Kaz smiled and stood up, already removing his lioncloth while Liki said, "I think we can manage."

The druid tossed the minor clothing aside onto the ground and tugged at a part of his vine wrappings a bit, apparently undoing the entire coverings, the vines slithering to a pile at his feet while falling from his limps and body. Kaz stepped out of the vines and faced Liki again, now completly nude. His stomach had a very toned look, abs being just visible under his fur, and his arms and legs rippled with small adolescent muscles that rivaled Liki's. His black furred sheath was a bit swollen in excitement, but nothing had yet to poke outward for the other Fangren to see. Liki somehow knew from just seeing the sheath though that Kaz, despite being only a bit older than him, was much bigger than him, and he wanted to see it.

Liki felt his cock swelling in anticipation, but Kaz said, "Relax, I don't want to do anything. I just want to sleep with someone and be naked for awhile."

The gray Fangren frowned and whimpered in dissapointment, the thought of having some fun then falling alseep peacefully appealed to him. Kaz smiled and whispered in his ear while he managed to slip in under the covers behind Liki, "Maybe after a nap..."

The Shadow grinned and wagged his tail under the covers until Kaz wrapped his muscle toned arms around his neck lightly and sighed peacefully. Liki closed his eyes and began to fall asleep slowly then, feeling two warm bodies pressed up against him comfortingly.

Jaklya laid in another bed fifteen miles away from Liki, waking suddenly and snapping her eyes open. She sat up right away, her arms and chest were charred and burned, her legs were similairly scarred but to a lesser extint. Most of her fur was now gone and her skin was chapped and cracking, blood seeping through the cracks. Though she knew she should feel horroundous pain, she felt none. Her only feeling was anger and rage, but also she felt happy.

She had met a match. The Shadow Terror, who's name she had heard the boy in his backpack say had been Liki, was her target now. She would destroy him. She would to proof that even meeting a match for herself would not stop her from winning. Once and for all, Jaklya would prove she was powerful.

"I want him dead..." She said to herself.

"Jakky? You're awake." Skip's head poked into the tent she was in. Her brother's head and body was covered in bandages to cover the small holes from the arrows of the druid he had fought at the same time Jaklya fought Liki.

Jaklya turned her head to her brother, only repeating what she said, "I want him dead..."

"Sista?" Skip whispered in worry. He had long ago came down from his blood-lust and pain had returned to him, at the moment he was more aware than Jaklya was, which was rare between them. Jaklya could only concentrate on one thing at that time, seeing Liki dead at her feet.

"I want him dead..." She said again and turned in the bed, setting her feet on the ground. She was naked, Liki's spell at the battle had completely disentagrated or melted her armor. She rose shakily; though she could feel no pain, her body was in no condition to support her, but she tried anyway.

She managed to take a step foward, "I want him dead..." Was all she wanted to keep saying. Until she made it true, Liki would become her obsession, she would hunt the ends of the earth until she had her rival dead at her feet. She would destroy everything in her way until she did.

Skip entered the tent and stepped in front him her, "Jaklya please, wake up." He tried to coax her out of her blood-lust high.

By now, that would start to happen, but it wasn't. Jaklya grabbed her brother and shoved him aside, pushing into the Anubian camp outside the tent, whispering, "I want him dead..." She struggled to take each step foward, nearly falling over, but she felt nothing but desire to reach her goal, her rage refusing to abate and let her feel pain.

"Jakky!" Skip followed up quickly and stepped out after her, "You're not in any condition to fight!" He stood in front of her again.

"I want HIM DEAD!!!!" Jaklya shouted and pulled back a fist, her skin falling from her fingers before striking her own brother in the face.

Skip dropped to the ground a few feet away from her, a bloody mark the shape of his sister's fingers on his face. He scrampled in surprise while his face stung. Jaklya had never hit him in spite like that before! He watched her limp past him, her eyes glazed over while she only whispered that same thing, "I want him dead...I want him dead..."

The male otter stood up behind his sister, picking up a big stick.

"Forgive me sista..." he whispered, winding it up behind him before hitting her in the back of her head. Even though Jaklya couldn't feel pain, her body still reacted to stimulie. Upon being hit in the back of her head, her mouth dropped open and her movement siezed until she fell backward as her eyelids closed and she reentered unconciousness.

Skip caught her in his arms and carried her back to the tent behind him. He sat her back in her bed and covered her with the blanket.

He sighed and stood over her. In the past, neither of them had been truely knocked out while they were in their beserker modes. He had faked it to toy with Liki and the druid, but Jaklya had actually been knocked out by the force of Liki's spell. He had been worried there would would somekind of effect, and this seemed to be it. Jaklya was obsessed to destroy the one who she had been fighting with, and she was not going to let even her loving brother stand in her way. The him she wanted dead had to be Liki.

"Jakky..." He whispered in worry, placing his hand on his sister's forehead in sadness.

For the first time in his life, a thought was creeping into Skip's head. Something he had always been taught to never feel.

War...War kills the ones we love...

He had lost his sister to her new desire to kill Liki it seemed.

"If I kill him and show her the body...maybe she'll wake up..." He said aloud to himself, but then sighed agian, "No...she wants to kill him alone. She can't do that when she's like this though."

"Then I'll have to get her back to working order as soon as possible." A stern voice that was familier to Skip said and the tent flap opened. Skip turned quickly and straightened himself.

"Visry!" He stood at attention to the Inner Mind, who walked past him to kneel down to Jaklya.

"Yes..." The Anubian leader whispered, "I'll have to make sure she can complete her choosen task."

"Visry. Is it safe for you to be here?" Skip questioned.

"I brought two boats of reinforcements with me on a hunch, and it seems I was right...someone powerful is here and you two need more to defeat them." Visry stood and addressed Skip, "Get yourself healed Skip, this war is not over."

Skip nodded and left the tent, but he thought of his sister as he trotted to his own slowly. I have to get her back to normal.

Liki was Jaklya's target and she wanted to fight him alone. Skip would help her by keeping Liki's allies busy.

Skip closed his eyes. Jaklya was the only person in this world he loved, he wouldn't lose her, he refused to lose her.

I'll destroy everthing...for her... He thought sadly and dissappered into his tent.