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_ Skywolf Mysteries _

_ Case file #003: Trial By Fire _

Kailani was back at hir office staring at a young fox girl, only about 14 from what shi had told the wolfess. Kailani was working a case to find a missing Chakat cub named Dark-Night, but along the way shi had learned that there was more then just one missing cub involved in this. After going to get information from a friend who usually helped hir on cases this young vixen had found hir and said that shi could help, however shi hadn't wanted to talk to Kailani with anyone around. So shi sent Chris, the Squirrel morph who worked for hir, to follow a lead at the chakat cub's school while shi talked to the fox. The fox girl was obviously beautiful, shi had a rich red fur that was almost crimson, deep violet eyes that were a striking contrast to her fur, she also had shoulder length red hair that was the same shade as her fur. All in all when she grew up she was going to stop a few hearts for sure. Kailani gave her a reassuring smile, doing hir best to put the young fox at ease. "Okay now we are all alone, I need you to tell me what you know about these missing cubs." Shi told the girl. "Why don't you start with telling me your name." Shi said with a smile "Mine is Kailani." The girl gave a shy smile before nodding up to the wolfess "My name is Melody, Melody Blackwood." Kailani gave an encouraging smile glad that shi was atleast making progress with the girl, shi glanced at hir screen and sure enough the name was on the missing cub's list, apparently she was one of the first one to go missing about six months earlier. "Okay Melody you said that you could lead me to the others, where are they?" Shi asked with a tilt of hir head. The fox girl looked uncomfortable. "Well it's not easy to say, you see he doesn't keep them in one place for long." The girl fidgeted again. "He's paranoid, he thinks that humans are going to try to wipe out furries and that he is saving the cubs by taking them and hiding them. He calls it the Cult of the Saved...and he does things to the ones who don't listen, he controls them somehow." She said in a scared voice.

This wasn't something that Kailani had expected to hear. Shi didn't think that controlling meant threatening them, no this had to be something else or else it wouldn't scare the girl so much. "Okay Melody I promised I would help and I will." Shi said with a smile. Melody nodded slowly seeming to calm down a bit. "Now first of all I need you to tell me who he is, I am assuming that he is a furry since he is paranoid of humans." She nodded and looked up at Kailani with those frightened violet eyes, "His name is Daemon, I..I don't know his last name but he is a fox morph like me but a bit older, Sixteen I think." She said and shivered. "He has the coldest eyes though. Like they can see into your soul." With those words Kailani's blood ran cold, shi could see clearly the loby of Doctor Rayne's office, the young fox male sitting in the chair across from her with that cold look on his face. Right there, he had been right there. But why was he there? Surely he wouldn't have been there to see hir, and He doubted that he would go there to look for Melody. Then shi understood, Mike Rayne had given hir information that he had gotten from one of Daemon's runaways, and that runaway had been found dead not long after that visit. Daemon was there to cover his tracks. Shi got to hir feet quickly and looked down at Melody, shi couldn't leave her here at the office with out Chris here, the office itself was safe but the girl could panic if Daemon showed up here for her. "We have to go now." Shi said a bit of the panic shi was feeling leaking out in hir voice. Melody's ears laid back as she looked at the wolfess. "What's wrong why do we have to leave?" She demanded. Kailani got a grip on hirself but put a hand on Melody's shoulder, giving a soft squeeze. "Because I think a friend of mine may be in trouble, I think Daemon may try to kill him for talking to me." Shi looked terrified at the thought but she just nodded. "I am going to take you with me so that if he comes here he won't find you." Shi said as shi steered Melody towards hir door. Shi went to the parking garage and headed to where shi parked. Normally shi would take hir motorcycle but if shi was going to take Melody with hir then shi needed to take hir car

Shi got into the car, which was a rather stylish PTV model built for speed and handling, one of the few indulgences shi had allowed hirself when shi opened hir shop. Shi told Melody to buckle hir safety harness and then pulled out of the garage and took off down the street, it was a good thing that there weren't many cops out because shi definitely wasn't doing the speed limit. No shi was definitely flying down the road right now, infact shi came very close to hitting a few cars in hir haste. Shi could tell that Melody was frightened by the obviously reckless driving but shi didn't have time to drive slow. But as shi got closer to Doctor Rayne's office shi saw something that filled hir heart with dread, thick black smoke rising up into the sky, and the sound of fire truck siren's. When shi got onto the street that the office was on hir eyes widened in horror and shi stopped the car pulling over. The office was completely engulfed in flames, many pieces of the walls blown out, debris scattered all over the street as fire fighters tried desperately to put out the fires. People were running out of neighboring buildings screaming as the buildings next to the office were catching fire as well. Ambulances were pulling up to the scene and paramedics were beginning to heard people out of the way and checking for injuries. Kailani got out of the car and told Melody to stay where shi was and ran to the closest fire fighter that shi could find who wasn't on a hose. "Did anyone make it out of the clinic?" Shi asked hoping that everyone was safe though it was a slim hope. The Fire fighter, a human male whose skin was covered in black from trying to put out the fires just shook his head. "Reports when we got here said the place just blew up, like there was a bomb inside, the fires were too hot, we couldn't get in, there's no way anyone is alive in there." The man said with genuine regret in his voice. Kailani felt like the world had dropped out from under hir feet. Shi couldn't believe that that they were all gone, not just Mike, but Cindy, the human couple who were expecting a baby that had been in the office as well, the feline mother whose kitten had been in a cast, they were all innocents, never knowing anything about Kailani, or the case. A low rumbling growl began to grow from Kailani's throat as the despair of losing hir friends and those innocents began to turn to anger. Shi turned and began to walk back to hir car, hir eyes cold with barely contained rage. Shi got into the car and gripped the steering wheel so hard that the leather creaked at the pressure. Shi didn't look at Melody but shi did speak to her. "I want to know where they are. He has to be stopped." Shi wasn't going to wait for the cops on this one, this guy Daemon had made it personal now. Melody gulped but nodded. "He has these bases set up in the sewers, There is no way of knowing which one he is in because he moves everyone around constantly fearing that he's gonna get caught." She said in that panicky voice again. Kailani took a deep calming breath, if shi was calm Melody would calm down and shi would get the info shi needed to rescue those cubs and make sure that Daemon went away for a long time "Okay so he moves them all the time, but there has to be a pattern to his moves, he is the careful type he has plans, he keeps to those plans too." Shi said mostly to hirself. "Are these bases in the same general area of each other?" Shi asked Melody. The scared fox nodded. "Yes they are all close to the Elementary school. Daemon says it's so he can be there to help all the cubs when things go bad." Kailani nodded to hirself as shi started the car, that made sense to hir, after all he wanted to be near more children for him to 'rescue' and control, Plus he belived that whatever this control was he had on the cubs was absolute and that they wouldn't run away from him, their savior there for he allowed some to go outside, thus the sightings. Shi blinked and then grinned, and that would be how shi determined the pattern. Shi pulled up the image of the map of sightings that Mike had showed hir earlier. Shi remembered the dates of the sightings and the area's drawing the map all over again in hir mind, finally shi could see the pattern, shi could see it so clearly, shi pulled out hir com as shi started hir car and began to speed down the street away from the burning building. Shi called Chris up and when the Squirrel answered it was obvious that he had news. "You were right to think there were clues at the school Kai, the teachers said that Dark-Night had an argument with some other cubs on the play ground a week ago that freaked hir out, the teachers said that shi was crying and screaming that shi couldn't feel their minds." Kailani's eyes widened at this little bit of info, their minds were completely blocked huh, that took a powerful mental talent, was it Daemon's ability perhaps? Shi interrupted Chris before he could continue though. "That pretty much makes sense with everything else I have learned...But Chris, Mike Rayne is dead, his office blew up just an hour after I was there to talk to him..." There was silence from Chris at this news as the car made a loud squeeling noise as Kailani took a rather sharp turn, boy did shi miss the days when Private detectives were allowed Siren's. Eventually though Chris broke his silence. "Kai I am sorry, I know how you got to feel but it wasn't your fault this happened." His tone was as soothing as possible, he had seen her in a rage once, hell he probably still had nightmares about that time, but there would be no calming hir down this time. "I know Chris, it was his fault, the guy responsible for this, and I am going to make him pay for it. I need you to look up a map of the sewers I need to know where the largest room in the sewers is that is South of the School." Shi explained. Shi heard typing from the other end which must have meant that Chris was back at his office. Finally though he came back on the line. "Okay it looks like there is an entrance to the sewers just south of the school behind the Gym, if you go down into that then head to the right, you will come to a huge room that was probably used for maintenance of some sort. Kai..I know I can't convince you not to go but please be safe okay?" He asked and shi smiled at the worried tone in his voice. "Don't worry Chris I will be coming back I promise." Shi disconnected the line and looked at Melody. "I am going to drop you off at my office, your not going down there with me, I will find him and I will bring those cubs back. But you will be safer with Chris in my office." Shi said with a reassuring smile. The fox girl didn't make a fuss as Kailani let her out in front of hir office, to be honest she looked relived. Kailani could only imagine the fear that she felt.

Kailani looked down at the entrance to the sewers ten minutes later, the uncovered man hole looking rather ominous as shi thought about what waited for hir down there. No matter what his reasons, this teenager had ruthlessly killed not only one of the missing cubs but a building full of innocent people. He had to be stopped, and shi was going to be the one to do it. Shi wasn't a complete moron though. Shi pulled out hir PDA and sent a message to Detective McAndrews, he might be a moron but the police would be real useful. Shi gave him hir location and told him what shi had found. Shi then turned off hir PDA or shi knew that he would send a message back telling hir not to get more involved, and it was way too late for that, shi was already way to deep into this to back off now. Shi made hir way down the ladder in to the sewers ignoring the smell shi began to move down the right hand tunnel and towards a very obvious light that was flickering at the end of the tunnel. Shi didn't even stop as two pre teen looking wolf morphs moved towards hir with clubs. In the dim light their eyes looked glazed, as though they were drugged. Shi growled and easily disarmed both of them, grasping both of them firmly by the wrists and twisting till the clubs dropped from their hands. Shi didn't stop moving down the tunnel though, shi dropped the wolf teens wrists and moved into the entrance of what seemed like a huge underground camp ground, including makeshift tents, there were cubs every where, and way more then were on that list that Chris had showed hir, but what was truly awful was that many of them were in cages and seemed to be trying desperately to get out, others were walking around in a daze, as if they were in a trance. Finally though sitting in the center of the room on what looked to be a lounge chair was the fox morph from the doctors office, his cold yellow eyes staring at her with a look of anticipation. Many of the dazed cubs turned towards hir and began to move in hir direction as if to defend the arrogant fox, but he simply held up his hand and yelled "Stop! No, shi is a guest here." He said as he got up from his chair and moved towards hir his cold eyes staring into hirs, shi had to give him credit, most would have run away from the look of pure rage on hir face, shi glanced behind hir where the two wolf cubs were moving behind hir with their clubs again, however they too stopped at the command of the Fox. Shi growled as shi took a step forward towards him. "You must be Daemon right? What do you mean I am your guest?" Shi asked with a snarl, "Were you expecting me?" Shi asked as shi continued moving slowly through the sea of tents, many of them were occupied by cubs sitting and just staring into empty space as though they were zombies. Shi couldn't think of any drug that would do this to the kids. Finally shi stopped as shi neared the center of the room and watched the fox waiting to see what kind of move he would make. He took off his coat, a short leather coat that looked like it had once belonged to a biker, underneath his chest was bared and it was obvious that he was strong from the toned muscular body that he now showed off for hir. He let out a rather crazy sounding chuckle. "Well of course I have been waiting for you, I have been waiting for you since I started gathering my chosen to me three years ago." He said with a grin, a maniac look in his eyes. "He said that you would come, he said you would be my trial by fire, to prove myself worthy of leading all of these children just as Moses lead his flock to safety!!!" Kailani cursed under her breath, a religious nut was a very dangerous thing. Question their beliefs and they would do everything in their power to either convert you, by force if necessary. Shi watched him warily as he began to move towards hir and shi braced hirself taking a defensive stance. "Trial by fire huh? Does that mean a fight? Because trust me buddy right now I am real tempted. But the police will be on their way here, Now just give up and they may go easy on you." Shi cautioned, as shi was using this time to glance around trying to spot Dark-Night, the Chakat cub that shi was assigned to find. However letting hirself get distracted was a bad idea for Daemon had used this time to strike. He laughed as he yelled "Fool, once I kill you God will give me the power to destroy anyone who stands against me!" With that he seemed to close the distance between them striking as fast as a snake his fist lashed out at hir chest, shi would have dodged except that shi was caught off guard when shi saw that his fist seemed to be glowing, that couldn't be right, but the distraction cost hir as his fist connected with hir chest and sent hir flying backwards. It felt like shi had been hit by a truck. Hir eyes crossed and the air left hir lungs as shi slammed against one of the wooden cages and knocked it over, the cage's door flew open as it crashed onto the ground right ontop of hir arm, shi bit back a scream at the pain and looked up at the occupant of the cage, it was a chakat cub with very dark fur and startlingly clear blue eyes. "Are you Dark-Night?" Shi asked as shi heard Daemon moving towards them. When the cub nodded, hir eyes wide and scared, shi gave a reassuring smile. "I was sent to save you." Shi whispered. Shi slowly pulled hir arm from under the cage as shi stood up and turned to face Daemon his eyes full of malice and blood lust, Shi on the other hand was strangely calm now. Shi took off hir hat, surprised that it hadn't already come free during the fall, and set it on the chakat cub's head. "Take care of that would you? It's important to me. Try to free the others while I take care of him." Shi said, Daemon started to speak out when shi said this but that had been the opening that shi had been waiting for. Before the fox could get out a single word shi had closed the distance delivering a quick jab to his gut to wind him followed by a low kick to the side of his leg to bring him down to one knee. He cried out in pain and surprise as shi brought him down but he recovered quickly trying to sweep hir legs from under hir. However shi jumped up over his sweep and came down with what should have been a punch right to the side of his head, but he saw it coming and rolled away from hir strike.

Shi watched him as he got to his feet circling around hir as shi did hir best to keep hirself between him and Dark-Night who was going from cage to cage trying to free hir fellow captors, maybe shi could distract him and get him to talk. "Just what did you do to the rest of these cubs, why are they acting like zombies?" Shi demanded as shi blocked one of his jabs and jumped back out of his reach. He simply sneered at hir. "As if someone as mundane as you could understand my power." He said and again his fist seemed to glow with a dark red light, almost as if he were storing energy in his fist to use against hir, this time though shi was ready for him and managed to dodge the hit, or so she thought, the blow missed hir head by inches but shi still felt a force hit the side of hir head and knock hir over as though shi had just been kicked by a horse. What the hell is he doing to me? Shi asked hirself as shi struggled to hir feet. Hir breathing was getting harder, the blow to hir chest had probably cracked a couple of ribs, hir left arm was going numb where Dark-Night's cage had landed on hir. Shi couldn't keep going in this fight like this, shi didn't know how this kid had gotten this strong but if he landed one more direct hit on hir with that glowing fist of his, shi might just wind up dead, and that would really ruin hir day. Shi took a deep calming breath and watched him, he was fast but not as fast as hir, shi saw his next strike coming, and knew that this time he was aiming for the kill, he was going for hir throat. Shi fell backwards hir hands hitting the stone under hir and shi kicked upwards landing a solid blow to his chin and flipping over to follow up with a jab to his face that dazed him further, he was shocked that she had actually managed to daze him and shi used that to go on the offensive, shi pushed the advantage, using hir quickness to strike and then get back out of his reach, Finally though shi saw an opening and took it getting in close under his guard and striking upwards catching him right into the collarbone, and shi put as much power as shi could behind it, able to hear a satisfied crack from the bone. The look of surprise on his face slowly faded as he fell and lost consciousness. Shi stood there in silence for a moment staring down at the knocked out, but still thankfully breathing, fox in front of hir. Shi heard someone pad up behind hir and turned to see Dark-Night looking at Daemon with wide eyed terror. "I..Is he dead?" Shi asked hir voice trembling. Kailani sighed and put a hand on the cub's should reassuringly. "No, he's just out cold and should stay that way for a while." Shi said wincing through the pain in hir side. At that moment the police stormed into the room, led of course by none other then Detective McAndrews, the Doberman morph looking to be in the middle of a fit of rage. He made straight for Kailani and growled in hir face. "What in the bloody hell do you think your doing you fool, this is interfering in a police investigation, I will have your ass for this." He yelled right in hir face. Shi growled right back at him. "You've tried that before remember? Now I would love to stand here and make you look like a dumb ass all day but I have a job to finish." Shi said as shi steered the chakat cub at hir side towards the exit. "Now why don't you and your men clean up here I have to get this cub back home." With that shi walked away with Dark-Night in tow

To Be Continued in: Discoveries....