Chapter I

                                                          Chapter I

   "Bet you can't catch me!" Daelach laughed merrily as she bounded through the Qirquon Wood. The cool breeze blowing through the trees ruffled her fur and brought with it the sweet smell of spring. 
   "Maybe not now, but I'll have you in a minute!" Her brother, Thunder, was leaping after her. He wasn't as fast as she was, but could run for a lot longer and generally caught up to her in these tag games. 
   "Don't go too far!" their mother, Luna, shouted after them. She sighed as they ran away through the forest, quickly disappearing from her sight. "I worry about those two." she said, seemingly to herself. Suddenly, her mate, Shadow, appeared beside her. "You shouldn't-worry, I mean. They're almost full-grown and ready to leave the den."
   "I know." She sighed again. "It feels like just yesterday they were tiny pups, crawling around and mewling blindly like kittens."
   "Hah!" Shadow barked a laugh. "They can take care of themse-" His voice was cut off by a large feathered dart protruding from his throat. He crumpled to the ground, and his breathing stopped instantly. A silver wisp arose from his body, and Luna knew it was his soul floating into the heavens. But something was holding in back, and it flew suddenly to the left
   "Shadow!" Luna screamed, but in her heart she knew he was gone. Suddenly, it occurred to her. Daelach and Thunder! What if they're in danger too? "Daelach! Thunder! Where are you?!" 
   "Mom! Run! They're coming and we're already surrounded!" Thunder shouted. But nothing could stop Luna now. She knew she would give anything for the safety of her pups.
She skidded into a clearing in front of Daelach and Thunder, who were indeed surrounded. By what, however, she didn't know.
    They were all different, but were all dressed in long white lab coats with blood-red splatters. One had dull black rocky skin with veins of orange running through, and bright red eyes. Another seemed to be pulling back a shadow- a furry, dark grey shadow. Her Shadow. She nearly called for him, but then realized that this was not the wolf she had known for years. This was not her pups' father. This was a monster, a soul sucked from Shadow's dead body and tainted with darkness with only one thought: to kill. "Run!" she howled at Shadow and Daelach.
     "Where's Dad?"
     "He's gone." Luna choked out. "So don't let this sacrifice be in vain. Now RUN!" She leaped at Shadow's soul, the volume and intensity of her voice shocking the young wolves into running for their lives. As they ran, they heard a terrible, pain-filled howl, and a thud as a body hit the ground. But there was no time to dwell on that, for a dart thudded into a tree beside them, and another into one of Thunder's back feet. He also howled in pain and fell to the ground. But he was still alive. 
     "Thunder! Come on, we have to run!" Daelach said fiercely as she turned back to her brother.
     "Can't... " He groaned.
     And in that split second, the last dart whizzed into Daelach's shoulder, and the world around her faded to black.