Author's Notes:

So...yeah, school, and friends. You guys know the drill by now, so have two new chapters as a thank you for not forgetting about me. Love all of ya'll. /)(\

-Till next time.

High Moon Ch. 21:

Dragon’s Cry & The Power of the Past

Spike and Quill were led out of Ponyville by both Dusk and Frost, who both remained silent, and uncaring of the looks from the ponies. Much without their knowledge, all four of the dragon-bloods could clearly hear every word spoken in a hushed whisper. Some again was questioning who Frost was and what as her relationship with the twins. Others wanted to know where and how Dusk knew the twins also if they knew he was a new element or not.

Of course, Dusk failed to care for any of the words. His mother taught him and his siblings not to worry themselves about what other’s think of him but still hold pride in anything he does. Frost frankly didn’t care much for the nameless faces as she and Dusk were faced with more pressing matters that needed to be attended to.

Soon, Dusk lead them on to a path leading back into Everfree, and continued a ways in until they were out of anypony’s sight.The four kept walking down the path away from Ponyville. Dusk thought of the best way to explain the dark art of clamor draconis.

Dusk finally stopped when he knew that they were out of the earshot of ponies. He and Frost turned around to face the two and Dusk begin, “Quill, remember that I’ve told you about blood-fire right?” Quill nodded her head, remembering when she first met Dusk during the camping trip. “Well, clamor draconis, dragon’s cry, it’s a dark technique that’s basically the black-magic of the dragon world.”

“But I thought you said that dragons could have shadow-magic,” Spike spoke up, remembering Dusk telling him and the elements about the mysterious unicorn using a dragon’s magic. Spike was still slightly shaken up when he learned that their was a dragon-hunter here in Equestria; lurking somewhere in the deepest of shadows. “Isn’t those two the same thing?”

Dusk shook his head and raised his right hand near his face. “Normally, a dragon’s magic is fueled by the natural magic within them, but there are moments where a dragon can feed their magic from other sources.” A dark-purple and blue flame started to flare around Dusk’s hand, flowing as though it was made of pure energy. “Right now, I’m only using the magic within my dragon’s soul, but when I do this.” Dusk focused on the magic flowing in the air around them and added it to the magic already lighting the purple and blue flame.

Suddenly, the flame grew into a much large inferno of purples, blues, whites, and a small outline tone of black. Spike took a step back from the crawling flame as it only reminded him of his nightmares involving fire. However, Quill didn’t move back, but instead took a step forwards like she was in some kind of trance.

“The extent of my magic is increased,” Dusk continued, ending the surge of his fire-magic, and breaking Quill out of her trance. She shook her head, not knowing what came over her, but having a distinct feeling of calmness that only further to confuse her. “There’s a number of other sources of magic for fire-magic there’s fires, volcanos, and sometimes the sun itself.”

“For water-magic,” Frost started getting the twins’ attentions. “Streams, puddles, and even the ocean.” Spike easily made the connection between his mediation and the sudden spike in his water-magic. It was by being near the lake that his magic was able to reach out to the nature magic in the water, it also would explain why the ghost heart was able to attack him during the camping trip.

“So you’re able to understand why most fear dragon’s magic,” Dusk asked leaning against a tree while the twin rethought the way they used their magic. “Not many dragon’s ever bother to learn how to harness the other sources of magic, as it takes near years to learn master the ability, but ‘good ol’ dad made sure I knew.”

“My father as well made me quite aware of the different sources of magic,” Frost added in, sticking out her hand, freezing the air to create the same short halberd she used to impress Wolf yesterday, and spinning it in the same fashion as well. “While my sister denounce her dragon heritage, I was more inclined to learn more.”

Frost started to spin the halberd around her side and turned to a tree on the far end of the path. “She learned more of our changeling magic while I…” Frost suddenly stop the halberd’s spinning with the curved blade end pointed out in front of her and threw it at the tree. “continued to push myself.”

The frozen weapon pierced the dense wood of the yellowwood tree and continued to push itself deeper within the wood before completely freezing the whole tree in a flash. Spike and Quill stood back in awe as ice fully encased the tree along with the leaves on it. However, their wonderment of the frozen tree was shattered by Dusk kicking off the tree he was leaning on.

Suddenly, the sound of the wind heating and cracking filled the small path that they were at as he created a blade of pure lightning in the palm of his right hand. The three others were instantly impressed with the bright display of Dusk magic. Spike started to question just how strong Dusk was, Quill wanted to find some way to match his magic, and Frost noted to not ever cross him.

In a blinding flash, Dusk’s entire body vanished into a purple light, and reappeared behind the three. In a single blink of their eyes, the twins missed what Dusk did to the tree, and only caught him walking from behind it. Once he was back over to the rest of them, the yellowwood tree started to slowly fracture before breaking apart, and vanishing in a blinding purple flame at the snap of Dusk’s fingers.

“Dad made my magic seem cool, so I kept asking questions.” Again, Spike and Quill were remained about how far behind they was with their magic. Both Dusk and Frost were only half dragons, and yet they had or knowledge about their magic than the both of them combined. “However, me and my brothers soon started to ask the right questions…” The twins snapped out of their thoughts at the grim tone in Dusk’s voice. “My father soon told us about dragon’s cry, a dark version of the four makers’ gifts to the world, and something most dragon’s can’t beginning to master.”

“I myself only been able to use it at certain times of the year,” Frost added in, remembering the times during the winter months where she had to step out of her hive to deal with any dangerous creature wandering far too close. She knew they were only trying to find somewhere to sleep for the winter but she had to look after her own first. “I do my best to restrain from using it as it has...unpleasant effects on one’s body.”

“Effects that cause even elder dragons to go insane. The last time I had to use it was against a sea serpent. Couldn’t move for days,” Dusk said with a shake of his head, the feeling of being unable to do anything for days really got underneath his skin. “That’s why I lead you guys out here, to tell you to never use it. If you really have to, make sure it will end the fight.”

“The last thing you two need is being caught in a fight while unable to fight back,” Frost added in, remembering the last time she had to use it, and how she failed miserably. Her only saving grace was her squad of scorpios coming to her aid. “The dragon’s cry got it name because when a dragon uses it, they start crying blood out of their eyes.”

“Whoa,” Both Spike and Quill said at the exact same time also taking a step back from both halfbreeds.

Dusk nodded his head and started to walk back on the path to Ponyville. “Yeah it’s bad, hurts like hell too, and takes a couple of years to get right.” The four soon found themselves back into the curious eyes of Ponyville, however; Dusk again didn’t pay much attention. “Legend has it that the four makers themselves never liked the technique, even if it was used to save a clan of dragons. So most dragons either never learn about it, or do their best from ever having to use it.”

“Which is why your training is so important,” Frost again started, wrapping a wing around Quill, and continued to walk behind Dusk. “So you don’t have to use dragon’s cry.” Frost felt slight worry from Quill and Spike and quickly thought to put it to rest. “Don’t worry though, the both of you are too strong, and smart to do something like that.” Frost pulled Quill closer to her with her wing and lean into her ear. “And I know you’re stronger.”

Quill had to suppress a shiver from going down her spine as Frost’s low purr. “Frost, not now…” While the two lovers had their fun, Dusk continued to make his way back to his house.

“I said it once, I’ll it again, Quill sure knows how to pick’em,” he said, taking a glance back to see Frost toying with Quill’s ear, and chuckling at the bright blush on Quill’s scales. However, his laughter ended when Dusk heard Spike sighing a little. “Come on man,” Dusk started, patting Spike on the back to get him out of his funk. “Be happy, you’re still breathing, and everyday something new happens right?”

Spike, who somehow managed to not look like a fool while he was tripping, looked into Dusk’s reassuring eyes, but was unable to mimic the cheer in them. “Y-Yeah…” Dusk sighed, not in defeat, but in pity for the drake. The ‘incident’ with Sweetie and Scootaloo really must have caused a major dent to Spike’s self-confidence.

He wished he could help the drake out, but something's must be done on one’s own. “Well alright, I’ll see you guys around.” The two lovers looked towards Dusk as he got ready to teleport off to wherever he had to go. “Jinx wanted to do this date night thing and Sketchy will kill me if I don’t help her plan everything out, see ya,” he said before disappearing into a purple flash.

“Well that’s just great,” Quill started in a flat tone, displeased with Dusk’s sudden departure, but couldn’t do much about it. “What are we going to do for the rest of the day?” Spike quickly thought of an answer and was cut off even quicker. “And don’t say go talk to the elements.”

“Quill come on, they helped raise us this far, and we at least owe them that much.” Quill sighed, knowing that Spike was right, but still didn’t want to deal with it as of yet. “Can we at least go looking for Rainbow, she been missing for two months now.”

Walking out of Frost’s wing and towards Spike, Quill stared directly into his eyes, and thought of any reason not to see the elements. However, there wasn’t much luck with that. “Fine, but only Rainbow.” Without another word, Quill opened her wings to take flight towards the south side of town where she knew Rainbow Dash’s house was, and soon was followed by Spike and Frost.

All and all, Quill didn’t have much resentment towards Rainbow as she was the one to teach her how to fly after her wings had grown, and maybe--just maybe--Rainbow would be able to talk some sense into the others.

After Wolf came back with the rope from Zecora's, Blaze wrote out a note for if the twins and Frost returns while they were out, and told Peewee and Cinder to keep watch of the temple. Wolf, Lily, and Blaze started out of the temple while they made their way to the mansion. Soon, they were making plans for what they had planned to do with the underground area Wolf thought was too risky to venture into. However, first they needed to figure out what was the past’s purpose of the underground tunnels.

Wolf still argued that it needed to be still blocked off but Blaze and Lily continued to insist that it may hold a key to understanding more about Equestrian's buried past. He still didn’t see the need until Blaze told him that the past may hold more knowledge for the twins here in the future. Lily too added in that they still needed to learn more about High Moon if they are to truly use it to the fullest advantage.

Unable to keep arguing with them any more, Wolf had finally agreed to start exploring the abandoned ruins. As the three pushed out of the mansion and to the rest of the city behind it, they kept to the inside walkway linking the mansion to--what it seems--to be an meeting hall. Through the shattered and cracked windows, Blaze again marveled how hold much of the ancient city was able to remain standing.

Even with Wolf’s repairs to certain parts, it was easy to tell that the city have seen some hard times. Many roofs were fractured, or just completely gone altogether, and Wolf had little intentions of fixing them. Stone staircases laid in ruin and neglect, makeshift wooden scaffolding somehow managed to hold up buildings, and nature have reclaimed much of the land.

Structures that appear to be once homes for ponies were now nothing but rubble. Only a few stone-made buildings seemed to hold victory over the test of time; shines, archways, and small temples were the few to be able to hold this right.

However, it was still their home.

Wolf opened the door to the meeting hall so they could make it through the actual open streets of the ancient city. Even with the land being covered in small patches of turf and other foliage, the bright sun above along with the sounds of the approaching fall season gave the ruins a feel that couldn’t be copied by anything else.

For the eight long years, the three have call this their home, and have all bravely fought for it time and time again. Soon, a sense of duty overcame the three of them as they all vowed to help rebuilding their home.

To many, the task would seem impossible, some would dare say foolish, but they were determined none the less. So what if much of the ancient city had been claimed by time and Mother Nature? Or that the once concrete ground now had grass and other plant life taking hold? It was apart of their lives, it was something they all worked so hard to rebuild, and there was no stopping them now.

Eventually, the three soon made it to the fractured stone entrance way that Wolf blocked off with the fallen pieces of wood. Just seeing the entrance in such disrepair was enough to gave Wolf more of a reason not to go down the dark tunnel. However, after a little more ‘encouragement’ from Blaze, Wolf started to remove removed the wooden beams with ease. Once out of the way, the three of them looked down into the pitch darkness of a set of winding stairs leading into the underground. The fact that it was underground gave Wolf more than one reason to seal it off the way he did.

For one, if the ruins were as old as they all thought it was, then there was no telling what condition the underground was. Two, he--nor the others--knew just where the tunnels would lead. Lily thought that it would lead to the castle in Everfree since it was so close to the temple. However, Wolf was quick to disprove that idea as he knew that their was no way for ponies to move that much earth over the two mile span without causing a cave in, but he did have a theory that it would lead to some ancient tome filled with buried knowledge.

Blaze ended their debt by rushing down the stairs saying they would never know without actually looking. Unable to argue with the basic and blunt logic, Wolf and Lily soon followed Blaze into the dark unknown. As they walked down the stairs, Blaze used her magic to create a small fire-ball to light the way while Lily continued to muse over what could be down there, and Wolf took the rear using his diamond dog senses to watch out for any unsuspected surprises.

The winding stairs seemed to just continued downwards without end and each step Wolf caught Lily becoming more fidgety. “Hey Lily, are you alright,” he asked in the softest voice he could but still making the flutterpony jump in surprise.

“Y-yes, I am fine,” Lily fakely answered. Not once has she told either Wolf or Blaze of her race’s natural fears of being underground since it has never came up until now. “Just not quite used to being underground.”

Wolf heard the worry shaking through her voice and it didn’t take much for him to know why. As a diamond dog, Wolf didn’t have any problems seeing, or even living underground. Blaze was far too curious for her own good and generally didn’t have many fears she had to worry about. Lily on the other hand, was an insect-pony, and that meant being too far underground for her was scary.

“Hey it’s fine, being underground isn’t all that bad if you know what’s in front of you,” Wolf reassured, hopping down a few steps to walk beside Lily. “My older brother, Slage, used to tell me this little trick to keep me from freaking out when I was younger.”

“Oh yeah, what was it?” Lily looked back to the bright shine in Wolf’s dull-green eyes that only hold experience and trust in them.

“Keep going, every tunnel leads somewhere, and before you know it…” Finally the three made it to the bottom steps and were given the sight of a large door, far too big for ponies to consider useful. The light from Blaze’s fire-ball revealed the dirty white marble, gold, and silver trim on the decorated doors. Not even a thousand plus years could ruin the parish metal cuts along the doors’ edges. On the left hand door, gold leaded all the way around, and moved into the center to from the outline of a sun. On the right hand side, silver followed the same pattern, but formed a crescent moon with in part of the sun.

“You’ll find something that makes it worth wild.” Wolf walked up to the two doors and placed his hands on the dry dirt on the off-white marble doors. As he furthered tried to comprehend just how something like this was constructed underground without any damage to the surface levels, Blaze and Lily continued to eye the design cut within the marble.

“Do you think we should open it,” Blaze asked, not seeing any keyhole, or sensing any magical runes on it.

Wolf looked back to the other two with an assure smile, the marble still was more than strong enough to support the weight of the earth above their heads, and he figured that there had to been some type of ceiling on the other side of the massive doors. “We came all this far didn’t we?”

He soon turned back around, placed his other hand on the door, and started to push it open. At first, the door refused to move as the dirt had more than enough time to harden into stone, but soon the dog’s strength started to crack the stones sealing the doors. Lily started to shake every time she saw another piece of stone fall from the top of the two doors but kept calm while Wolf finally got the right hand door to open up.

A cloud of dust and air rushed past the three, threatening to knock them over as it fled to the first chance of being free. Wolf shrugged off the rushing wind and started to make his way through the crack he made in the doors with Blaze and Lily following right after.

From the bright crimson of Blaze’s fire-ball, the three examined the large room as it seemed to have been a tomb of some kind. Just like the doors outside, gold and silver lined the walls, and formed an array of designs on the walls. Suits of black metal armor formed a solid row against the far left wall where a normal sized door lead further into the new area.

Right in front of the three was a another set of stairs leading up to a spot that appeared to be a place for a thorn just without it there. On either side of that were the solar and lunar symbols decorated on silk tapestry, however ruined by time as rips and tears created holes on random places.

The more the three looked around, the more they discovered about the area, and soon all three came to the same conclusion; it was another castle, only difference it seemed to have a bunker-like feel to it.

“Hey Blaze could we get some more light?” Suddenly, the torches lining the walls lit up, each one holding their own color, and cycled between a gold and blue flame. Everyone was startled by the unexpected display and Wolf turned towards his marefriend with a confused and worried look on his face. “Um...since when can you do that?”

Blaze slowly shook her head just as confused as Wolf and Lily. “That’s wasn’t me.”

“It was me,” a voice called out to them from the left hand door. Slowly, a shadowy figure started to emerge from the darkness shielding the door’s entrance. Wolf stepped in front of Lily and Blaze when the creature fully emerged from the darkness. The large creature walked along on all fours, its fur and mane was of jet-black, and pair of large wings resting neatly on its back. The only true color on the creature’s body was the bright gold of its pupils and the deep blue of its irises.

The creature’s body was shaped like a lion’s but had a cat-like head. Even its tail was like a feline’s along with the blue slits of its eyes. Wolf could tell by the way the creature's body was shaped, that it was a female. “Okay, but who, or rather, what are you,” Wolf asked, not feeling any hostile emotions from the creature, but that’s it.

“Please master,” the creature started, bowing her head towards Wolf, and continued to speak in a soft voice. “Allow me to introduce myself, I used to be called Isis, but you may give me any name you see fit. I am also a sphinx as well as the caretaker of this tomb.”

Wolf kept his gaze transfixed on Isis, nothing he could think would correctly explain how old she was, but it was quickly obvious by her young completion that she could hide it. “A sphinx? What in Cerberus’s name is that?”

“Master please forgive my inattentive answer,” Isis quickly apologize, “A sphinx is a mythological feline. We move along this world and the next as guardians of souls, land, treasures, and knowledge.” Isis got off of her hunches and started to walk past Wolf and the others, motioning them to follow her as she walked to the door on the adjacent wall. “I’ve been here since the first construction of this city many moons ago.” Isis’s gold and blue eyes started to light up, lighting every touch on the winding hall way. “My first masters were the alicorn sisters before the Lunar Fall and the Nightmare Rebellion.”

The other’s started to look at each other, now getting a sense at how old Isis could be, but remained quiet as they turned to the right into another hallway. “I have long since sensed Luna’s return as well as the nightmare’s. However, time has seem to have forgotten me, and I remind her waiting for my new master’s arrival.”

“And you think this ‘new master’ is Wolf,” Lily asked the same question the other two were thinking. Isis stopped walking to look back into the flutterpony’s eyes. Lily could feel the hollowness of being abandoned for a thousands years flowing freely from Isis’s cold golden and blue eyes. But, she pushed past the heavyweight her eyes carried to further question. “Surely if you venture towards the new capital where the sun goddess now rule, she would realize her mistake, and apologize...right?”

“Over many of times, I have thought of that, but this is my home. If Celestia wanted me to stand by her side again, she would have already came for me,” Isis started, resuming the walk down the hall, and finishing in a much lower tone. “As I have awaited for centuries.” It wasn’t two steps before she continued that thought.

“And centuries still.”

Both Lily and Blaze flinched from the bitterness in Isis’s tone while Wolf looked at her with a sympathetic gaze. To only know caring for others, who suddenly leave, and not come back for her must have been hard on Isis’s soul. To be alone for a thousand years, only to wait for the ones you’re supposed to be protecting, and have them not to come. That alone should have driven Isis into a blind fury or a depressing sadness. However, she seems to only be faintly showing it as the rest of her body-movement remains unreadable.

“Master,” Isis started again, looking down the hall where the others were frozen in their thoughts, but her words were enough to break them out of their thoughts. “I would advise you to keep up if that isn’t too much trouble, as you had constantly stated before, most of these ruins are unstable.”

The three soon ran to catch up with the sphinx also with a few questions for her. “Hey Isis,” Wolf started after catching up to the sphinx’s side and looking down to her golden and blue eyes. “How did you know about me saying that it might be unstable down here?”

“I may have not left this tomb in my actual body in centuries but I do sometimes enjoy watching you and your pack members move about High Moon.” To further illustrate her answer, Isis again used whatever means of magic she has to will one of the golden flames from the torch to float in front of her.

“See master?” Wolf looked into the golden and white flame, thinking he saw some image being made out in it, and soon made out the images to be of him and the others living in High Moon. “I’ve been watching all of you for these eight years. All of the moments you’ve all spent together, the laughs you shared, and the tears you shed as well. I’ve been patiently watching, and waiting, for you to come find me master.”

The longer Wolf stared into the orb of golden fire, the longer Isis’s words held truth. Images of him and Blaze meeting for the first time in High Moon. The months that passed before Blaze finally confessed her feeling for the dog. Also the moment when both shared their own life-stories with one another and learned so much about each other.

Then soon, the moment where they met Lily in the ruins, of how Wolf started to act coldly towards the mare, but eventually coming to secretly enjoy her presents. Of the many adventures they had around Everfree trying to explore and learn more about their environment and soon the twins’ arrival to High Moon two months back.

It was all true, every image that Isis showed to Wolf was ones from the past, and there was no mistaking that the sphinx had been keeping a close watchful eye on his pack. However, one question still burned in his mind.

“Okay,” Wolf slightly breath out a sigh, never seeing magic such as the sphinx’s, and was quite interested of how powerful she was. Then as he thought about it, there truly was no telling what the sphinx was capable of, since she have evidently lived for centuries. However, he put that aside for later. “That’s odd, but I need to know; how do you know I’m your master? What makes me so special?”

Isis turned towards Wolf and gave him a warm friendly smile that he honestly thought she wasn’t capable of. “Because master, you not only care for this land, but for any that wants to call it home. That alone is enough of a reason for me.” After hearing the sphinx’s words, Wolf turned his head back to the hallway in front of him to think about what the sphinx was telling him. Sure, it was true that he cared more for those living in High Moon then the land itself, but that didn’t give him right of another’s soul...does it?

Isis saw the deep though her master was in and took it upon herself to relieve him of it. “Master, over the many years of living, I’ve unfortunately met those that would fight over land as though it is not already around them anywhere else. I’ve watched great kingdoms fall because of their greed, bitterness, and self-righteous motives. However, you on the other hand, don’t. You know the importance of another’s life and never push be on what can be done. Because you, master, don’t need to push others to do what they can, but instead inspire them to push themselves; a trait most leaders lack. This is why I am happy to call you my master.”

The group finally reached the end of the hallway as Isis placed a paw on the black-marble door, causing it to glow in a faded blue light before opening up to another flight of stairs leading up to the surface. “And as my master,” Isis started ascending the stairs with the others close behind. “I’m a your full disposal, and I am fully prepared to carry out any bidding you have for me.”

Wolf took a glance back to Blaze, who just shrugged her shoulders as she wasn’t sure what the emphasis was for either. “Okay Isis, well since you know more about the ruins layout, could you help with rebuilding it?” Again, Isis turned back to Wolf with a cheery smile that betrayed the hollow emotions from before.

“Of course master, in fact, I have been preparing for such a task, but it will take quite a considerable time before all of the ruins will be in peak conditions.” Wolf nodded his head, pleased that there was something more they could do for the city ruins. When Isis reached the top of the stairs, she placed her hand on the dirty white-marble door, and opened it with a golden light. “However, I will need a few materials for such a task, but there’s time for that later. First I want to show you something master.”

Isis continued to lead them into a large room, decorated the same way as the main entrance room, but slightly smaller. In fact, the main--rather only--difference was a round pestle in the center of the room with a blood-red gem floating above the ground in a dull-blue light.

Lily and Blaze stopped right in front of the door while Wolf continued to venture onwards to the floating gem. “In a time long before the Lunar Fall, or the alicorn sisters taking power, a relic held the power to bring dreams into the waking world, but was destroyed in fear of being too powerful. However, before the original star’s destruction, multiple copies were created, and I managed to keep one here all this time.”

“Well, what do you want me to do with it,” Wolf questioned looking back towards Isis with a questioning gaze. “I don’t need a gem to bring my dreams to reality if I can do it with my own two hands.”

Isis nodded her head, only getting a new reason to be proud to call Wolf her new master. “Do not mistake master, this is only a mere copy, nowhere close to the power the real star held, but I think you could find better us for it than I.” Wolf looked past Isis to look into Blaze’s eyes, he could see the slight worry in them, but also the confidence she had in him. “You mustn’t worry yourself master, the gem, like most objects of power, are useless until given a owner.”

Wolf turned back to the gem and started to reach out to it. Okay, I don’t know what you are, but if you’re as powerful as Isis is making you seem, then you better not try anything funny. Wolf took the gem in his hand and pulled it from the dull-blue light. For a moment, nothing happened, and it seemed that the gem was just a red-stone, however all notion was shattered when the gem started to brightly shine.

The blood-red light blinded everyone as the gem started to react with the magic in Wolf’s fire-stone braces. Once the light had faded, Wolf was the first to open his eyes, and was the first to noticed what the gem did to the braces on his wrists. The black and silver steel was now engraved with lines of blood-red and dull-blue, looking as to be vines. In the center, the gem from the pastel seemed to fused with the fire-stone that was already there, and pulsed like a beating heart.

Wolf stared at the pulsing blue light from the blood-red gems, an aura of magic could be felt from them, but it was something he never felt before. “Isis,” Wolf started, turning around to face the sphinx as she walked towards him. “Just what was that?”

Isis sat down on her haunches in front of Wolf and placed a paw on the gem embedded in the braces. “Master, please remain calm, the fact that you’re not losing control of your mind means the star fragment accepted you as its new owner. As I have,” she reassured with a calm voice before continuing, “That fragment held enough power to help you achieve your goals. However, as you have just stated, it will have to be done with your own two hands.”

Wolf closed his eyes and took in a deep breath to gather his thoughts before speaking again. “Alright, so where do we start first?” Isis again smiled the same warm motherly smile towards Wolf and stood up on all fours again.

“Wherever you please, master.”

Chuckling, Wolf walked towards the sphinx, and knelt down to her height. “Then Isis, let me be the first to truly welcome you to High Moon.” The two touched heads, Isis giving Wolf total trust and control, and Wolf giving his trust as well. Whatever knowledge the sphinx had about the past would prove to be invaluable towards the growth of High Moon. However, it couldn’t put a price on the new family she just got, and Wolf was going to insure her safety. Just like he does for the others.