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Chapter Five: Look to the Sky

1200 Years Ago

Kaenis watched from the high walls with the other young pups, barely tall enough to peer over the stone battlements with wide, fearful blue eyes. All the adult Canai were either amassed at the border of their home, or outside the walls facing the oncoming attackers; worse, those laying siege upon them were other Canai, other wolves once called kin.

Smoke choked the entire sky, leaving it black except about Tel'nase, their ancestral home itself. Only the storm clan kept the black, suffocating clouds at bay, with vast walls of wind to absorb the endless barrage of fireballs. A bolt of lightning would occasionally strike a screaming molten rock that tried to make it past the first defenses.

The young Kaenis ignored the thrumming of wind snuffing out fire, or the boom of thunder that came from each shattering deflection. His icy-blue eyes focused their best far out ahead of the scorched, cracked walls where his parents fought at each other's side. The pair were the greatest of the ice clan, keeping up the morale of their kin as ice walls were raised again, and again against the encroaching heat.

For all the Canai knew, the rest of the world had already burned, for as far as any could see there were only fields of ash, blackened mountains, charred ruins where other peoples once lived. Their only allies, equally ancient and powerful, had exhausted their greater strength early on in the sudden, fiery conflict...the 'Gods' to mortal races.

Yet the ice clan kept hope, that the plan to draw the fury of their former kin upon themselves focused the loss of life, to sacrifice their own to pay for the crimes of their own. The father and mother of Kaenis, Kaenos and Kanyra, looked at each other with weary smiles.

"My love, I believe it is time...we have held them as long as we can, this should be their entire clan now. I'll signal the other kin to enact the last of our plan..." The female wolf huffed wearily, one paw clasped tightly to that of her mate, as both held up their other paw to pour more ice outward to the immense wall before them.

"Aye...winter comes, beloved." Kaenos smiled grimly to the beauty at his side, their kin about them nodding at the phrase known to ready the ice clan for the final measure.

Kanyra lifted her head to lose a resounding howl, causing all wolves on both sides to pause and look toward that direction, only for the fire packs to resume the relentless attacking. The ice wolves ceased reinforcing the walls and instead joined the howl of their matriarch. The more howls that came the colder the air became about them, dropping rapidly in temperature.

The Canai clans of earth and storm knew what that chilling howl meant, swiftly going into action with their part of the desperate plan. Tel'nase shook sudden and terribly as the earth wolves hammered along the ground outside the walls, great strikes causing vast chasms to break apart the world between the great city and the encircling siege. Countless wolves fell into the jaws of the earth that opened, yet still they worked their incredible strength to sever the connection, the way forward to their home.

The storm wolves created their own new howl, and Kaenis looked to them as it became clear what happened with this final cry; storm and ice Canai alike gave their life essence to fuel a magic so great only their expenditure could pay the cost. Each howling wolf evaporated like snow in a gale, their spirit wisping into the huge, carved runes around Tel'nase's defenses and deep beneath her in caverns.

Kaenis whined, spinning his view to the distant view of his parents out in the now swirling blizzard before them all. The pups around him began to whimper, crying as their own father or mother vanished into a gleaming spiral of snow.

"Father, mother! Please...please stay!" Kaenis cried out into the clashing of thunder and fire, his small voice lost in the hurricane of elements; yet, the pair of wolves heard their child and turned to smile up at him even as their features turned to ice.

"We will be watching over you...gentle snow, when you need us...look to the sky." They said in unison to their pup with bright, gleaming eyes of crystalline blue, before their essence was spent in a flurry of ice outward.

Kaenis howled a pained sound, to be unable to help or keep his parents from such an end. His claws gripped hard at the stone, freezing about his fingertips before he slumped against the wall to snarl a cry. He gasped when a strong paw tugged him up by his red tunic, hoisting him up to be held in sight of the now titanic blizzard before their home.

"You will watch, pup. Watch their deeds, this sacrifice saves us all, perhaps the world." A strong, gruff voice came from behind him. The caretaker of the pups, Eirja, an old wolf-maiden kept him aloft with a stern nod toward the swirling ice and snow, "Honor them, be brave and see what they do for you."

The pup sniffled, forcing himself to stare through tearful eyes as the fire clans were enveloped in a torrent of cold so fierce the air itself stood still. An absolute frost bit into them all, devouring both wolf, land, and flame in an all consuming winter that washed ever outward. Every wolf of the fire clan stood fixed as an icy statue when the wake of winter-fury passed them.

Tel'nase, now separated from the mainland by ground from the earth clan's work, hovered out and away from the now frozen cliffs, over a roiling sea. Held aloft by the empowered runes hewn mightily into her stone hide, the Canai home now sat isolated from the ever expanding storm of utter cold.

"The lives lost will be remembered always, until we see them in the Halls of the Ancestors." The wolf maid uttered, lowering the limp form of the pup back to the ground, joining the other confused, crying young wolves in the aftermath.

A new, thunderous sound echoed from above the newly isolated Tel'nase, the vast fortress-city covered with scorch marks, cracks in walls or towers had one more loss to suffer. The divine creatures that had long ago welcomed the once savage Canai into these walls, Gods to many other races tongues, had no more strength for this world. Now, they created a bridge upward, into the sky as a vast aurora of lights.

Greatest among them, Zelna, was a vision of beauty. Radiating purity of starlight, the goddess rabbit rose above the surviving city with her arms spread out to each side. All heard the gentle, yet commanding voice of the All-mother in their minds. Even the last two fire wolves caught in the cold that ate their kin around them. A male and his daughter, the cause of the entire terrible war, the offspring he had poured his twisted purpose into if he should fall.

Serakh roared in defiance at the razor-ice swirling about him, at the young female wolf at his side, "You c-cowards! COWARDS! It is my only reason...graaahh! To be! Is to see...all life united...freed in flames!" The black-furred wolves snarled at the blinding light of a living star above, but where the father glared in defeated fury, the daughter paused.

Sakana's fury bled away, eyes of molten hatred softened to a cooling ember at the sight of the mother of all things. She reached upward with both paws, tears forming in those fiery eyes at the truth shown in mere moments, "I...I am sorry...I do not know why...we did this to all of you." The realization of what she had done to her own kind caused tears to form, the first pangs of emotion other than fury fluttered to life in her heart, "Father...why, have we done this...?"

Zelna smiled, and all Canai felt as though the sun herself had caressed them with warm rays of loving light, "Fear not child...another chance you shall have, a life where choice is given to you."

"Do not dare...take, turn my child against me! I will see you all BURN!" Serakh swore into the freezing air even as his features broke away into pieces of ice, "Daughter! I...I will return for you...you, ngh...are mine!" He snarled through bared fangs, then became nothing more than a fading growl in the wind. A monstrous shadow emerged from the shattering ice of his form, looming over a defeated Sakana.

"Ragnarok is halted, this terrible war has ended! Hear me, know my will forever more, my children." The voice resonated with great love, but equal sorrow for the losses over several long years, "My Canai, I give a visible home to our fallen, and a prison to this poison in our midst. Take solace in knowing all will be united once more...one day, in my embrace."

Zelna herself now too ended her physical existence on this earth, cascading outward with a nova of warm soothing light that bathed all things for miles. The flowing hair of the beautiful rabbit shot downward, ensnaring the raging shadow in binding coils of light, "We have caused enough change...enough hurt to this world, my love. Come...be with me, retire in my arms for the rest of time..." The shadow fought, trying to reach for the daughter wolf with grasping claws of too many arms as Zelna drug him away, then it went still and looked up to the nearing light.

Talna recognized his lover once more, taking his true shape as a wolf of darkest shadows. Talna had been the dark of existence, to the light of Zelna at the start of creation. The lovers had quarreled over their creations, the wolf had grown jealous of their children. So long ago...so much had happened he couldn't remember anymore.

"I ask all Canai to give this child love where hurt once was, take heart and go forward knowing you shall see your kin again...my beautiful children, I shall watch over you always..." Zelna spoke once more as her being enclosed about the wolf of darkness, the two rising up into the sky and far away as the light the rabbit exuded grew to rival the sun. A great sphere took its new place among the stars, with two vast trails, the ears of a mother rabbit, remaining behind it for a long moment before dispersing into stardust across the sky.

Already stricken with grief at the loss of so many of their kin the remaining Canai couldn't hold back their sorrow to see their All-mother exchange herself for peace. Such a price was too high for the wolves, with great cries resounding across the cliffs about Tel'nase as the wolves howled to the new celestial body above, to their moon.

The falling stardust settled soothingly in their tears, to calm the weeping packs of wolves. Their tears ceased but marked their faces forever onward, golden crests beneath both eyes, with a slender trail falling along each side of their features.

Kaenis would always remember the storm of emotion in his heart that day, for what felt like the loss of his whole world in a single night. He would remember the hatred in his heart when he was finally allowed to venture out with the remaining packs of adult Canai, to where his parents had given their lives...to where he found the unconscious form of a young white wolf.

The young male stood over the motionless form of the reborn Canai, glaring with pained hatred to this girl who had moments ago been one of their greatest enemies. The black wolf raised his paws above his head, creating a large chunk of ice he could manage at this age.

"I hate you, Sakana...I will never forgive you! You took away...m-my mother, my father! Why do you get a second chance!?" Kaenis cried down at the defenseless wolf, arms shaking with restrained anger before he tossed the ice aside, falling to his knees alongside Sakana as the last words of the All-mother once more came to mind, "For Zelna...I will honor her last act, and my kin...and my parents...but I will never...forgive you."

-????-

Even Canai took time to heal with the kind of injury Kana dealt herself, and losing sight in one eye had robbed her of some balance, dexterity for a time. Andulus had insisted she take time to recover, not allowing the warrior to push herself or even hold a weapon to properly relax after what had happened.

Instead, the king had taken the warrior out for a night in the town she'd saved. The pair now only got looks of gratitude and admiration where once there had been judgment. Kana had come out in her traveling attire instead of gleaming armor, an outfit of dark hide bound in leather straps with tufts of fur coming from the edges of each segment.

"That look suits you, my lady." Andulus grinned at the wolf, who was surprisingly bashful walking the street with her arm looped about on his own.

"Tch, these are what most of my kind prefer, there is nothing special about it." Kana puffed air at the compliment, blushing beneath the snowy fur of her cheeks, "But, thank you..."

"You're still up for this, right? Don't want to make you uncomfortable with all this, Kana." The knight asked with a quieter tone, giving a loving pat of a hand to hers along his arm. The king too was without his usual armor, just a finely made outfit of cloth.

"Of course I am, what is there to be afraid of?" Kana scoffed at him, thinking her scared at all, "I just...have little experience with this sort of thing." The wolf huffed with a sweep of her tail behind them.

"You...haven't gone on to dinner with another before?" Andulus asked with an amused tone, brows lifted at the idea the valkyrie hadn't been courted until now. "That can't be, someone as mighty yet lovely as yourself!"

"Oh be silent, you charmer!" Kana shot a playful glare at the male at her side, "Yes, several males have asked such...but, I..." The wolf sighed, ears splaying out, "I dislike lowering my guard to others. I dislike sharing who I am, that way I cannot be hurt except in battle."

Andulus nodded, then lifted his chin up toward the hanging sign of the tavern ahead, "Ah, here we are! You'll love it here, I promise!" The man grinned and tugged at her arm, leading the larger female along and into the doorway of the bustling place.

The Canai looked about with swiveling ears, the scents, sounds, and warm lighting kindled something inside her she realized she missed about home. The hearth nights, where their kind would sing, dance, and eat in large halls together, to share great tales of victory or remember the fallen alike. On some of the most memorable, a pair of wolves would share a dance, displaying their love for one another before the eyes of all the others.

A young woman strolled up in a form-fitting outfit and short fabric skirt with a grin and wink at the pair, "Welcome to the Tavern! Let's get you two a nice table! I'm Meliora, just Meli for short, heh. Come with me!"

The server was nimble and experienced, weaving between other servers and tables gracefully where Kana made quiet grunts of annoyance trying to fit amongst them. They were taken to the back of the large wooden establishment, closeby the large hearth and bartop. A cozy booth for the couple, with a sturdy wooden table between them.

"Here we are, I'll return soon to get your desires!" Meli chirped before spinning on a heel to attend to other patrons.

Kana slowly looked to Andulus with thin lips, a brow cocked upward, "Desires? She seems rather familiar with you...is she-"

"Nooo, whatever you're thinking, that's not it!" Andulus gave a nervous chuckle, shaking his head with both hands held up innocently, "I swear on my honor, Kana. I'm not that sort of man."

The wolf accepted this with a short nod, relaxing to look at the view of the place, "I do enjoy the atmosphere at least, it reminds me of home..." She said more to herself, but her companion leaned forward on folding arms with a bright smile of curiosity.

"Oh? How so? I don't know nearly enough about you, my lady." The king asked.

"The hearth, how they gather to eat and drink together...it warms my heart knowing our peoples aren't quite that different." Kana smiled at the idea, then to her companion, "We do the same for pack events, for bonding or after great battles."

"Bonding? As in marriages?" Andulus grinned at the wolf, before seeing her eye widen with splaying ears, "Uh, that's not important, let's think about our meal, hm?" He changed the subject by sliding over a folded parchment, then opened one for himself, "List of foods, get whatever you wish!"

Kana blinked over it a few times, then began to peer across the meals with a furrowing brow. Andulus peeked across at the wolf with a smile, he'd long memorized the menu and could instead gaze at the Canai. She caused a flutter in his heart to see that thinking face. To watch her outside of battle, in a place they could be themselves gave the king much good after the long war.

The wolf noticed after a moment, lifting her head to look at him with a grin, "What? Staring isn't becoming of royalty, you know."

"You're too perceptive. Can't a man admire beauty without being judged?" Andulus sighed playfully, rolling his eyes as he set the menu down to clasp his hands together.

"Tch, you flatterer...think that'll win me over do you? Sweet words?" Kana snorted at her charming knight.

"Why, is it working?" He winked at the wolf who opened her mouth to speak before the woman server pranced into view again.

"Have we decided then?" Meli asked with an excited tone, leaning toward the king with a knowing grin, "Will it be the usual, your majesty?"

"Uh, yes, thank you Meli." Andulus smiled sheepishly at the familiar tone, seeing Kana's fur bristle some before the wolf huffed to take her turn.

"The steak, rare, with all of the sides." Kana said curtly, earning a questioning glance from both across her.

"A-all of them? As you wish, then, m'lady!" Meli bowed to the pair, scooping up the menu's to return to the kitchen with Andulus chuckling at the Canai.

"What? Is this a place of feasting or not?" The wolf gave a curious, if annoyed growl.

"Oh it is, you go right ahead. I forgot you Canai eat far more than us mere mortals." Andulus grinned at Kana with a warm chuckle.

The wolf gave the man a playful sneer, then looked toward a bard that got up before the hearth, starting to pluck away at his instrument while singing a tune she didn't know. She propped her chin into a palm to listen, smiling to herself with a shifting of the end of her now blackened tail.

"It's a song about the season, how we're thankful to have made it to the changing of them, for the food we have stored, all that silly mess." Andulus shrugged to explain it some, just glad to see Kana enjoying herself for a change.

"It is lovely, I like it. One must always be thankful for the world, what she provides. For those we get to keep seeing into the new season." Kana smiled more at Andulus, a single icy-blue eye gleaming in the firelight at him.

Andulus blushed at the look and meaning behind her words, but also felt a pang of guilt at her gaze. One of those beautiful eyes was covered still in a cloth piece, its light lost forever when Kana offered it in exchange for the return of the poor villagers slain those weeks ago.

"Do not fret, good king. I made that choice, knowing what it cost me." Kana spoke softly, startling the knight for a moment as she seemed to read his mind, "Those people deserved no such fate, and for once, I felt as if I gave the world something back."

"For once? My flame, you have given more for mine, your own people than I have my entire life. Why do you hold yourself in such low esteem?" Andulus asked with a lean forward, worry creasing his brow as hearth-light flickered across the pair.

"Recently, I have regained some...memories, I think. Of a time when I was not...this." Kana sighed with a shake of her head, a laugh at how foolish that sounded, "Ignore me, likely a lack of sleep lately is all."

Andulus, who had the private words of Kaenis come back to mind, merely nodded with a forced smile to play off those worries from his wolf, "Of course, we'll have to fix that! Get you some sleeping herbs for a deep, long night of rest." The king grinned more genuinely, "I've got some excellent tea that'll send you off to dream nicely."

"Thank you, Andulus." Kana said warmly to the man across from her, reaching out with both paws to take up and clasp both his own hands, "You have been a reassurance, and though my brother ties...you make me feel...safe." The wolf almost whispered to him, but he heard it even over the boisterous atmosphere about them.

The king squeezed their fingers together with a bright smile, "I'm never safer, than at your side, my lady. That smile of yours chases away all my worries."

Kana huffed with a smirk, withdrawing her part of the hand-holding to cross her arms beneath her chest, "That is quite enough of that. They will begin to think I am getting soft."

Before Andulus could add any further mush, the server returned with two others in tow to begin laying out the many plates of the order. Several kinds of dishes, from fine vegetables to more decadent creations by man were laid before the couple, "Phew, enjoy you two! Holler if you need anything else."

Kana's eye widened, licking her chops with a growl, "Oooh, now this is more like it! These better taste as good as they look, or you'll be put to shame at my own home!" The wolf smirked.

"You're on then, let's compare cuisine! You can bring me home to make sure our meals measure up, my flame!" Andulus laughed, grasping a mug to lift in salute, "To our victory, and to the wolf who saved us!"

The Canai once more blushed, rolling her one good eye before grinning, lifting her own mug to clink against the man she adored, "To our victory, and the protector of the realm!"

Kana and Andulus both jumped some when the tavern cheered, dozens of mugs being raised to them both with incoherent shouts or calls to their honor being made. The couple laughed with a shrug, before digging into their well-earned meal.