In the battlefield that Kair’s soul had become, hours seemed to have passed.
The mountain peaks were bleeding molten rock just as much as they were bleeding the blood of countless wolves.
The world had become increasingly gray.
The intense glow of the moons had weakened, and the oppressive Sun seemed more tolerable.
Even so, Nova-Kair’s rage and madness boiled with infinite energy.
He stood atop one of those peaks.Hundreds of black wolves had died around the glowing rocks.
Blood painted his white fur like tattoos, and the young wolf’s gaze looked completely insane.
“Send more!
Send more of them to us!
We’ll devour every last one of you!
You filthy traitors!” The hybrid’s distorted, mad voice was painfully powerful.
They had not even realized that, at some point during the battle, they had begun referring to themselves as “we” instead of “I.” As if answering his rage, the world cracked, and Nova-Kair finally managed to look toward the sky.
Up there, atop the highest peak.
At the center of the gray world.
A black wolf was floating.
The Sun on his forehead was almost extinguished.
The oppressive feeling had vanished, and all that remained were faint traces of heat.
Below him, a white wolf was drenched in blood.
The light of the Full Moon was fading.
On the verge of disappearing.
Nova-Kair felt the blood bonds slipping away, and Kair’s consciousness began to disappear like incense smoke.
Now almost completely Nova, the wolf howled in pain and ran toward the wounded black wolf.
Full had left countless wounds and had even managed to tear one of the damn Solar Wolf’s limbs away.
But she did not survive.
When the last thread of connection broke, pain echoed throughout the entire pack of brothers, and the lunar wolves were left in shock.
And with their cries came the sound of something cracking.
Above the Eternal Moonlight Kingdom, the powerful light of the Full Moon, which floated at the center of all the moons, had shattered.
Breaking into countless pieces and leaving an eternal mark upon its sacred sky.
“Damn you!
You monster!
Dieeeee!” The old wolf Waning shot toward the heavens.
No!
No!
No!
Old wolf!
Don’t go!
It’s a trap!
No!
Nova thought and struggled with everything he had to call out to the Waning Moon.
But it was useless.
When the old wolf drew close to the gigantic Solar Wolf…
A damn smile appeared on his muzzle, and his feigned weakened posture fell away.
With a single movement, as though the gray sky itself had opened, a pillar of the purest sunlight descended upon the old wolf.
“Pow!” His body was hurled toward one of the peaks, and the disgusting sound of cracking bones echoed throughout the Eternal Moonlight Kingdom.
The Waning Moon cracked.
The young wolf, more Nova than Kair, ran desperately across every mountain peak.
Killing black wolves like never before.
Reveling in their blood.
But every time one of his brothers approached the great black wolf…
“Crack!” Another moon cracked in the sky, and the Solar Kingdom advanced farther into their sky.
Crescent Moon.
“Crack!” Last Quarter.
“Crack!” Each one faded away, darkening the sky of the Eternal Moonlight Kingdom.
With every broken bond…
New Moon took another step.
And with every step gained, Kair took another step back.
At some point, he finally reached the peak where the gigantic Solar Wolf stood.
He was in terrible condition.
The proud wolf had now lost another one of his limbs and was on the verge of death.
His brothers had truly done a number on him.
Around him…
The charred bodies of almost all his brothers.
And before him…
Waning Gibbous.
The only she-wolf left from his pack of brothers.
“Nova!
Run!
He’s already won.
Go to the farthest reaches of the kingdom and find a way out.
As long as one of us survives, our lineage will survive!” Even with the sadness and desperation in the she-wolf’s voice…
The insane Nova could not retreat.
Not again.
He knew how this would end.
He knew his sister would be killed.
He needed to fight.
He needed to continue.
The story would not end like this again.
He released a deep, distorted roar.
And prepared to fight.
“Hahaha, so it’s just the two of you left.
Good.
You gave me one hell of a fight, but it’s finally over.” The Solar Wolf’s eyes gleamed, and a heat no one would have expected from a wolf with one foot in the grave began to radiate from him.
“RUN, NOVA!” Nova did not run.
If he was going to die, he would die right there.
As he should have back then.
However…
A few small ethereal threads, the same color as the web of a certain Weaver, began to emerge.
And when the light became fire, the image of the lunar she-wolf vanished, and another wolf took her place.
His fur was white, but without any luster.
It did not seem to be made of ivory, but rather fluid like the winds.
From his muscular flesh, pink scars spread across his entire body.
Many parts of his body were marked by countless battles.
His eyes were not silver, but a transparent white, like the winds.
His eyes met Nova’s.
He did not know who this wolf was, but even though he was not in his human form…
Another being knew exactly who he was.
Kair’s cornered mind trembled the exact moment his eyes met the wolf’s.
“Kair…
Run.
Only survivors tell stories, and only they can change them.” The words were different.
But with the fire burning around him and the image of the wolf before him…
Kair awakened.
Uncle…
Yes!
Kair…
Yes!
For hell’s sake, what happened?!
Fragments of the events raced through his mind at a terrifying speed, and Nova’s mental hold slowly began to fade.
Now I understand…
Actually, I don’t understand much, but I know Nova isn’t me…
But he’s inside me.
Yes…
I understand.
Let’s go, Nova…
We can face this on another tomorrow.
With a growl of profound sadness, the New Moon Wolf fled!
He ran as the world turned to fire behind him and the wave of heat claimed the life of the last of his sisters.
The winds tore through the air across the entire Eternal Moonlight Kingdom.
And within it, a young wolf began to shrink.
His paws grew smaller, and moments later, he was standing on two legs.
No longer paws.
Now, a young human with the traits of a lunar wolf gazed toward the heavens.
The dark sky of moonlight was finally consumed by the Sun.
Its brilliance nearly blinded him, but it was not as powerful.
Something was different.
The grayness that had emerged between the two realms began to expand like a living mist, and the skies merged.
On the horizon, an orange and warm Sun bathed the seas of gray mist that reached the young man’s feet.
Behind him, a sky as clear as a night nearing its end.
At the top…
Almost imperceptibly, a faint mark, nearly fading away, continued to struggle against the Sun.
It was the New Moon.
The same one now resting on Kair’s forehead.
At last, the light of Dawn blinded him.
It was time to go home.
I would like to thank everyone who has made it this far.
This is the end of an introductory arc.
I wanted to show how Kair got to this point and how he obtained his lineage.
For some of you, it may have felt too slow or too fast.
Well…
I’m still learning how to find the right pacing, and I would really love to hear your thoughts.
Now, we can explore the Asteria Empire and what this current world is like, a world that literally exists above the clouds.
And just how terrifying it can be, in both good and bad ways, to be an Aethersoul.
Author’s Spoilers: If it wasn’t obvious, Kair’s lineage is not the Lunafangs.
Yes, the Lunar Wolves and the wolves of the Solar Kingdom are connected to the Duskfang.
No!
Kair will not let Cassian’s betrayal go unpunished.
Yes.
The Weaver is ridiculously beautiful, but remember…
She has eight limbs ready to tear you to pieces.
That last part was a joke, hehe.
(Or was it…?) ~ Signed: Black Dragon