Chapter 20 Is this the end?

My body suddenly collapsed. I fell snout first in the black earth. I could hear voices and everything was spinning. I couldn't see straight and my head felt like it was going to crack. I had been in the middle of the sarimony. We had alread cut Bran . . . Dad and his blood had already dripped into the basin of the alter. We were getting ready to sacrifice Moge . . . my brother. I could feel him slowly moving away.

I raveged and raved on the ground. I let out a weil of no kind. I was fighting with myself.

"Who are you" said the new Tuff in my . . . are head.

"It is I the original Tuff and Wolf 74" I growled back.

"Wolf 74 but that's a slave name"

"I know. This body has been a run away, a slave, and a prince but now it is time for it to be a hero"

"Oh I won't allow it"

I got a thought wave and I new it was from Moge. He was wondering what was happening but was unable to talk do to being muzzled. I used the Nost to cut the muzzle with the Dark Matter. Then I cut the rest of the muzzles on the other captive wolves.

"Tuff, what's going on" asked Moge

"He is unable to answer you" whispered Stella in such a low voice even in the quiet it was hard to hear. "He is fighting with himself. The old Tuff you know and the new Tuff that I created. This shall decide which side will win. Good or evil. I know that my new Tuff will win for I trained him in the art of the Nost"

"Tuff, Tuff you can't give up. You are not just fighting for you but you are fighting for all wolves"

I continued to struggle against the New Tuff. New Tuff whispered, "Give up. I am far more stronger then you. You are not worthy to have this body. How did you even get here"

"I combined with Wolf 74 to start off with and then we got to the main part of the body just not in the corner of my head and got here" I said

"You are just so weak. You are useless. You don't deserve to be called a wolf"

Are body let out a squike and a whimper. It was shaking so bad I was amased it hadn't killed itself in the proccess. Me and the new Tuff were fighting in are heads but Wolf 74 was just sitting there. We had split back up after I had engaged new Tuff.

"Wolf 74 help me"

"You can't help him Wolf 74. You are just a weak slave born to serve others"

Wolf 74 looked down at his feet. He stood up and started to walk back towards the dark corner.

"Where are you going Wolf 74"

"He's right" said Wolf 74, "I'm just a weak slave. There is no way I can help anyone. I'm just as useless as snow. I have no real purpose"

"Wolf 74 you do have a purpose. You are not just a slave. You are me. I am you. Look how hard I can fight against him. It's because I know that if I don't win now the intire world will be doomed forever. I can't let that happen. Wolf 74 you are not Wolf 74, you are Tuff to"

Tuff looked at me. There was a new shimer in the former slave's eyes. "Y-you're right Tuff. We are the same and have the same power. We can overcome this demon" He seemed to glow in his own way. It was time.



"You see" asked Mom as I regained control of my body, "I told you that your Tuff was far weaker than mine" Moge looked at me. His face was pleading. I growled at him. His tail dropped. It was over. I got back up and looked at Mom.

"Why" It was all of a sudden and from me. For I was me. Me and Tuff the former slave had overcome the New Tuff.

"What" asked Stella

"Why did you do it Stella" I looked over my shoulder at Moge. His tail was high and waging. I turned back to Stella.

"Why did you do this. Why did you erase my memory and take me as your own. If you hadn't had me kill Issy I wouldn't have been able to come back. Why did you send the humans"

"How did you"

"I still gathered information even though I didn't have a choice of what I heard or saw. I know you sent the humans to kill my familly"

"Your wrong. I may have sent the humans but . . ."

"But what"

"I'm your real mother" said Stella. I couldn't belive what I was hearing. I looked at my parents. they were both looking at the ground.

"Mom say it's not true" She didn't answer

"Tuff. It time you learned the truth" said Stella, "You were my pup but I was also the leader of the Balkas and therefor I could not take care of you. I asked my brother Bran to take you in for me. He agreed. I moved in close to him. I had you and five other dead pups. You barly lived through the first night. It was the travel that had killed the rest. Then I dropped you off and left. It was perfect me and my brother's mate were both white and her cubs were born the same day. Then when I asked for you back and my brother refused I sent the humans to reclaim you. Your brother kept that from happening. Then later I captured you and was going to erase your memory so that I could raise you. Then you escaped. I had no choice but to use the not queit ready memory eraser. Then you broke through and taught that one but I caught it just in time and finished it. Then I raised you as my own. But to complete this I had to sacrifice someone close to you and not to me. I chose Moge since you loved him so much"

I stared at her. It all made sense now. I looked at Mom and Dad, "Please tell me it's not true"

Dad answered, "I'm sorry Tuff but you are not my real son and your mother is really Stella"

"No. I don't belive it. They are my familly. I will save them!"

"Bran will you let me sacrific Moge" asked Stella

"What" asked Moge.

"Yes, if it's to undo what we have done to his black wolf"

"Then I shall make it swift" said Stella. Then she started her white dark matter force wave. She was going to knock Moge off and kill him from the fall!"

"No" I yelled, "I won't let you this is my familly!" Then I started my own dark matter force wave. Mine was blue. The two waves hit each other. I was holding my ground. "This is my familly I don't want to be evil"

"Tuff" said Moge, "Tuff you can do it. Mom, Dad, you raised him. Shouldn't you fight for him and help him. You are what he thinks is his familly"

"Yeah" pitched in Gart and Salka, "He's a brother to us and he also needs us"

"Tuff you can do it!" It was Mom.

I pushed harder against Stella. I wasn't going to let her win. Even if it ment killing her. Then I flashed for a second. I felt a wave of power go through me. It hit Moge and he skidded back.

"What just happened" Moge asked.

"It's Tuff" said Stella, "He still doesn't know how to control it. The top of his power wave is reaching into the time travel part of the power so he vanished for a second"

"I won't let you win Stella" but then I flashed two more time. "No" I tried to control it more. But then there was a bright flash of light. I passed out but the last thing I saw was Moge. In midair.

Chapter 19 Need to escape was one but two

I slammed myself against the invisible force wall. I was breathing hard but I was still slamming myself hard. I finally fell down from exhaustion. I listened to my panting for a few seconds before I looked at my eyes area. The eye sight was currently closed off so I must have been howling.

I turned around and looked at my disappearing memories. It made me sad. I had already lost most of my cub hood due to the erasement. I looked at the ground. I was shuddering. How could I let it end this way. Issy was already dead, and Stella was now going to kill my brother! All I could do was watch and listen to what happened and I could never do a thing about it. I looked at the sullen Wolf 74.

Wolf 74 was curled in a tight ball. He knew what was happening but he didn't have control over the Nost therefor was of no use. I knew that we would soon be gone after the memories. I looked at the memories of Sammy. Some had been chewed away already. Thankfully not any of the meaningful ones. I came back to the question, "How am I going to save everyone" But the same answer kept coming back, "I can't" I shook my head as the answer came back again for the billionth time.

I looked again at Wolf 74. I growled. How could I have failed to get to him in time anyway. That's how sad I was and how powerless I was. If wolves could let out tears I knew I would shed tears right now. I looked at Wolf 74 again. My expression slowly changed and I didn't know it. The question came to me again. This time I had a good pure answer. I knew what I was going to do.

I ran over to force keeping me from Wolf 74. "Wolf 74" I said, "Get up"

"Why" He said, "It's all lost anyway"

"No! I have an idea" Wolf 74 looked at me.

"You do" He got up.

"Yes. You saw me earlier trying to get to the new Tuff right. Well we need to get to each other"

"But won't that destroy me"

"It shouldn't but there is a chance. Instead though we might become one. Come on you don't want Stella to win do you"

Wolf 74 turned away from me for a second. Then he whispered, "I'll take this chance. Just so I can save the familly I never new and give Stella some payback"

"Ok so at the same time we will slam against the force ok"

"Yeah" Then wolf 74 got up. Then at the same time we slammed against the force. We were bounced off it but I realised it gave a little more then the one holding us from the new Tuff.

"Again" I yelled. Then we ran and hit it again. It gave more. We pounded again and again, and it gave more and more. Then we both ran at it at top speed and slammed all of are weight against it. There was a breaking and ripping sound. A blaze of light in this darkness. I stood there. I felt powerful. Then I heard a voice.

"Tuff we did it we became one"

"Yes" I said, "Now it's time to escape from this prision in are own head"

Then like before I slammed against teh force but this time it seemed weaker. I gave more and more. Then like before it gave. I came crashing down on the floor near the new Tuff. He turned his head and looked at me. Then the intire place fell.

Chapter 18 Inside the Crest Valley

The sides of the valley were craggy and sharp. There was only one narrow path on which to travel on. You could fit three wolves side by side but at the danger of losing one. I looked down the steep sides that disappeared into nothingness. The side was lined with even more sharp pointy rocks. One slip and you would ether fall to your death, land on a stone pillar jutting out, or get cut up while your falling by the sharp pointy rocks. The sides were steep so if you did fall there would be no stopping it.

The mountain crest looked like spikes coming out of the mountains. Even though it was day time the valley seemed to be very very dark and gloomy. It made me feel really strong for the captives were shuddering and whimpering. There were very very very very old human homes made out of the surrounding earth. The valley seemed to stretch on forever. The harder you tried to see farther the more you thought you could see death.

The ground felt hard and unforgiving. Not like the earth of the forest and the land was barren with only a few small whithering tree here and there. The path we walked on was going down and seemed it would go down forever. Then if finally leveled out and there before us was a black earthed field. In the middle was an alter. It was made of just simple stone but anyone not just those with the Nost could feel the power coming off of it. It seemed to be the center of the universe. It was power and power was it. It seemed if anything were to touch it they would be turned to nothing and everything.

The sky seemed to darken even more as we got closer to it. The Balkas were ordered by my mother to leave for only her, me, and the captives could be there. Plus one human.

Mom said, "Now we must make one of the captives bleed and another one of them needs to be killed" She walked over to the Gray newcomer captive. "This is my Brother Bran" I seemed to be hit by a spark of some sort. "We need some blood that is related to us" She walked over to Moge. "We also need and innocence death to complete in and give us ultimate power" I was hit by another wave of spark. I just shock it off and ignored it.

"Now I shall start the ritural" said Mom, "To start it we need to howl a deep howl that no other has done. Then I shall continue the ceremony while you and the human watch over the captives and prepare the two to give up there blood" Mom and I howled then. It was erie and breathtaking to anyone within earshot. Then Mom continued the ritual while I got the captives ready. Moge looked at me with pleading eyes. I just ignored them.

Bran growled at me when I walked up to him. He had questioning eyes. I had no idea what he was wondering but I didn't need to know for we were almost done with him. Then he could live the rest of his life either a slave or one of the very few free wolves Mom was allowing. I looked over at Mom. She was ready.

Chapter 17 The Outside of Crest Valley

After a few days of traveling we arrived at the Crest Valley. It had a dark veil behind it. It looked like the jaws of death in the sky. Mom turned to me and said, "Tuff I need you to stay here. I am going to intercept a new set of wolves from the south. Other Balkas are bringing them"

"Ok Mom" I said.

"You need to watch the slaves and humans also"

"Ok" Then Mom headed south to intercept the new comers.

It turned to the Balkas and Humans and said, "Balkas go and hunt three deer so that we can feed the slaves. Humans I want half of you to go and make spears out of branches" Both groups nodded and set to work. Now was the perfect time to inspect the slaves and how they lived really for I have never seen them resting. Actually the only time I had ever seen one was when I was training and torturing them. I walked over to them. I looked over there bodies. They were just laying there. Three wolves seemed to pop out to me. I recognised them. From my dreams.

The wolves were all different colors except one was really close to the other. One was white, one gray, and the other gray-black. I couldn't remember there names in till I realised that I was walking toward them. The gray-black ones name was Moge, the white ones Salka, and the other gray one Gart. I stopped right next to them. Moge looked up at me. His expression had been grim but then his expression turned to surprise then anger.

I looked at the she-wolf Salka. Her face was glum and when she saw me she looked away. Then I looked at Gart. Gart saw me look at him. He stood up and walked a little ways away. I turned my attention back to Moge. He looked still angry. I had an Idea. I was going to talk to him through the Nost. I reached for him mind.

Moge, it is nice to finally meet you in person.

What do you want you traitor.

I was slightly confused at this.

What do you mean?

You were on are side and then you turned evil.

I was even more confused.

Tell me what you know you flee-bitten mutt. I was now angry for he called me good.

Don't call me that Tuff. I don't want to ever see you again. You have betrayed us all and doomed us. Why did you do it. Why did you have to separate yourself from us.

I don't understand.

Of, course you wouldn't. You just want to be evil now because it feels so good and your so powerful. You are just like her. You are a little, evil, coyote.

Don't call me a coyote. You are the coyote in this situation. I could call back the Balkas and have them rip you to pieces alive.

Moge fell suddenly quiet. "Good" I snorted. I liked it that all the slaves muzzles were wired shut. This way we could just end a conversation when we didn't like it. I looked back at Moge. Then I felt anger in me for him calling me a coyote. I walked over and I put my muzzle to his. Then very wildly I nipped his nose. He let out a muffled yelp. Then I nudged him to make him roll over. Then I snapped at his reproduction area and he quiver. "Let that be a warning"

I walked a few feet away and lay down. Moge rolled back onto his stomach. He looked over at me. His ears were perked up. Then they slowly dropped. I lay my head on my front paws. I had grown bord with this job all ready. I should have had a Balkas stay here and watch them and I would go on the hunts. I sniffed at a rock near my muzzle. I snorted some dust away from me.

I looked at the sky then. I wondered. What was the sky made of and can a wolf ever touch it. I knew humans could with there huge flying metal birds. Then all of a sudden Mom appeared out of nowhere with the new captives. One was a pure white like Salka. The other was a gray like Gart. The new captives wagged there tails. I didn't like this for this showed happiness. I barred my teeth and growled at them. Their tails stopped immediately. Then Mom said, "Tuff it's time to head into the Crest Valley.

Chapter 16 The Coyote

I woke up the next morning. I had plans for the captive slave wolves. I walked out of my room and down a hall. That's were I saw the humans area. There was a total of about forty humans. I walked up to one and said, "I need you to grab three sacks" The human nodded and grabbed them. Then I turned around and led him back to the cave. I had him open the door to the cave with the three slave wolves. I walked in. I looked into the faces of the three wolves. They couldn't move because the legs were still tied together and there muzzles were still wired shut.



I said to the wolves, "For now you shall all be hooded so you can't see the torment you are going to face" The shewolf in the group gave me a wild look and the two males looked surprised and paniced. Then I walked away and the human walked forward to hood them. The first male bucked a few times to try and keep it off. He failed in his atempt and seeing him fail the other two gave up easily.

For the next few days I tortured them in several different ways. Hunger, thirst, I had them bite, I had them tied up tighter and tighter so they had no chance of escape. After a few days I didn't torture them because it would be torture for them to be wondering when the next on would come. So that day I decided to hunt with a few of the Balkas.

We went out and hunted an elk. It took several hours to find a weak elk to hunt. We chased it down and killed it. After that we all gordged are selves and became meat drunk. We lay there for a few minutes before I caught a foren scent. It was another canine species. I looked around intill I saw it. It was about a third of my size and it was really weak looking. I asked the Balkas right next to me, "What is that thing. It looks sorta like a wolf but it's not really"

The Balkas said, "Oh that's a coyote. There a scavenger. They feed off of are kills and live off it. That's why we hate them so much. They take a lot of are food"

I looked at the Balkas member, "I think we should have it take a message back to the rest of it's kind for us"

"What do you have in mind"

I whispered my instructions in his ear. His eyes gleamed. Then he stood up and told the others. They all seemed excited by the plan. When I stood up the rest of them stood up. The coyote was feeding on the elk carcass. Then with my signal we slowly crept up on it. The snow started to fall at this point. Even though Mom controled the weather she was now going to let the true winter through. Will the rest of the world thought it was summer it was actully the end of winter. Mom had been able to fool the world, even me.

We crept closer to the unsuspecting coyote. The coyote didn't see us till we were almost upon it. When it did look over the carcass and saw us it bolted. We were apon it in a matter of seconds. The coyote gave a mighty yelp as one of the Balkas bit at it. Another one tackled it. The coyote gave a yelp of panic as it was bowled over. The Balkas and I surronded it.

We flipped it onto it's back and four of the Balkas grabbed one of it's legs with his mouth to hold him still. Then I spoke to the coyote, "Hello lowly coyote state your name"

The coyote sputered out, "My n-name is Hixt. I am part of the southern Coyote clan. W-what do you plan to do to me"

"Well Hixt, my name is Tuff. We want you to send a message to the rest of your lowly kind" I walked down near his tail, and rump area. The coyote had a good sense of wolf language. His tail was inbetween his legs. "We want you to tell them that any coyote found feeding on one of are kills with be chased down till they are killed then there scent will be followed back to there clan and the clan killed"

The coyote gulped at this news. "Oh and this rule started yesterday. So I guess we have to make sure you will die, but we won't kill your clan since your lower life forms don't know yet" Hixt struggled a little and he whined. I gave him a stern look.

"What are you going to do"

"Oh I don't know. What should we do. Break one of your legs. Rip off your ears and tail. Oh I know. We can rip open your stomach area so your internal organs can hang out. A slow death but you should be able to tell one coyote clan at the least"

Hixt gulped. I lowered my head to his stomach area. He started to thrash back and forth and he tried to bit his captors. One of the Balkas bit harder on his paw and Hixt lay back down with a whine of pain. Then slowly I split his soft flesh to reveal his organs. Then I said, "Ok realease him"

Hixt got up and walked a little ways. It wasn't long before we could see are work taking it's toll. His organs were already hanging out and he was clearly in pain. Then I ordered, "I want two of you to follow him to make sure that he makes it to a clan before he dies. If he falls threaten to eat his organs than make him continue on. On the third time he falls do it" Two of the Balkas nodded and followed the injured coyote.

I turned back to the elk carcass a few yards away. I walked up to it and took a bite before walking back up to the Balkas base. Plans wer now being set into play. Mom had told me of one of her plans before I had trully fallen asleep. A pack of two, way far south were being brought to the Crest Valley. We were taken a couple of slaves to do some dirty work. The end was almost here.

I set out with my Mom and a couple of the slaves that night to the Crest Valley. I didn't know what was ahead. But I found out after a week of traveling when we reached the Crest Valley.