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Jenna,” insisted Steele, his blue eyes find her red. “I almost killed Balto, Rosie, and everyone else in this town. There would’ve been nothing here for you if Balto didn’t return.”
“But he did return, love,” the reply came from Luna, who sat between Steele and Balto, her voice smooth and bending like the soft touch of breeze. “And you have shown you have changed. You, Steele, is the one who lives now. The old Steele exists only in the past. Let him go, and live.”
Steele looked at his mate, whom he had saved from death. Silver-white, she was truly what her name said her to be. Luna,goddess of the moon or, perhaps, the moon herself. When he first set eyes on her, he thought she was Jenna or her daughter, Alue. But when he looked closer he realized who she resembled: his first love, Tek. A black and white pied husky with enchanting blue eyes, Tek had been Steele’s first love interest before he moved to Nome. His musher himself would’ve stayed long enough for Steele and Tek to declare themselves mates for life if she hadn’t been bitten.
Steele sighed. She had been bitten by a mad wolf who seduced her, a being infested with rabies. She would’ve survived if her rabies vaccine hadn’t expired the day before. In turn, she became mad and almost bit Steele but Steele’s musher couldn’t and didn’t allow it. The human pulled his revolver and shot Tek twice; first through the heart and second in her head. To this day, Steele could still feel her blood and flesh that splattered on his fur, see her eyes of pleading before her death, and his distrust towards strange wolves.
“Steele, what is it?” Luna’s yellow eyes shown with concern.
“It’s…only memories…”
“Of Tek?”
“Yes.”
Balto and Jenna looked at one another. “Who’s Tek?” asked Jenna.
Luna shook her head. “It is not my decision to reveal.”
“It’s alright Luna, I can tell them.”
Steele looked from the husky he had loved and the former outcast he had once felt disdain for. “Tek was a husky who lived in the town of Anchorage, the city I lived in before I came here with my musher….”
***
“Tale of Tek”
***
As Steele’s tale ended, the husky felt Luna’s warmth beside him as she comforted him.
Silence for the longest moment, then,
“When she died, Tek’s death changed me. From that day forward I loathed wolves and didn’t want anything to do with them. When I first met you Balto, you seemed like a normal stray, not wanted by humans or owned dogs. Then I learned of your second heritage and that is why I distrusted you from that day forth.”
“Do you distrust him now?” asked Luna, knowing it was a question neither Balto nor Jenna could ask.
Steele met Balto’s and Jenna’s eyes. “No I do not. I was wrong to do so.”
“Let us put this behind us,” said Balto, holding out a paw. “Let the past remain in the past.”
“And live in the present,” Jenna and Luna said together.
Steele looked to his mate, who gave an assuring nod.
Then he smiled. His smile was like the dawn of a new day, warm and confident.
He took Balto paw. “Thanks.”
***
Chapter 3
“Luna changed Steele in a way none ever could’ve,” said Balto. “I never thought it was possible.”
Jenna laughed quietly and leaned into her mate. “Love, there was always good within him. It only had to be brought out.”
“I knew Steele had goodness within him,” said Balto softly. “I never thought a wolf would be the one to change him.”
***
In a parallel universe…
A man stood in the darkness of the study, his eyes resting on the book that lay in the hands of its most recent and late reader. As man moved towards the book, a voice spoke out from the darkness.
Fren, is it wise? Soul separation could impair us
“I am aware of what it can do,” said Fren, lowering his hood. “But with you outside my body and mind we can accomplish more.”
You mean, you will accomplish more said the voice, a touch of anger ringing in the air. You always cared only for yourself. Even your sister knows that
Fren sniffed. “At least it proves she isn’t ignorant as the others.”
You do know she will try to stop you
Fren took the book from the dead hands of Elani Valkar Karis and smoothly drew his sword from the corpse. As blood flicked onto the man’s face, he brought the sword to his eyes. Fren looked at the crimson blade, its hidden power reflecting in his eyes.
“I will be prepared.”
***
In the paralleled universe…Compassian Forest…
It was a calm morning, sunlight shown through the tree’s leaves like streaks from heaven. Birds flew and sang their songs, deer bleated, and insects of all kinds sang in their own way.
In the center of the forest, the clash of swords could be heard.
Years before, any clashing of swords would’ve been thought unusual and interpreted as an attack. But these sounds of a duel were now common for all who lived in the forest knew who was fighting: Thais and Claire Prisana.
The heart of the forest was a clearing of swaying grass, a rippling river, and a tall oak; it was here the duelists would fight and test each other’s skill.
Tais watched Claire as she watched him, her sword held to counter his first attack. Thais was an Asi, a nomad from the Great Plains; black haired, light brown skin and dark eyed human man with a strong built. Claire, a young woman with flashing dark dark eyes was also Asi, sharing the same traits: though slender but <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:1; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Palatino Linotype"; panose-1:2 4 5 2 5 5 5 3 3 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870265 1073741843 0 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-indent:.5in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Palatino Linotype","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:12.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family:"Palatino Linotype"; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:"Palatino Linotype"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; text-indent:.5in;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} -->with strength equal to the man she was dueling. The two, some would say, were so alike that it was rumored the two were related. They were masters of the sword, well fit, and both were Valkar, wielders of the soul energy. But those who were close to the two would know they were not related. They were the same age, born two days apart, on the same hour.
Thais would swing and Claire would block. Their bodies moved fluidly like dancers, their blades moving along with their masters. Slash, slash, block, dodged, kick; the two humans went around the clearing; their robes rippling as they jumped, rolled, and ran. They moved with abnormal speed, their bodies sometimes coming within seconds of touching; only to twirl away and come together again. Sparks flew as their blades struck each other, grass rustled in their wake, and the clash of their blades echoed into the surrounding trees.
Finally Thais made a fatal error: he guessed Claire’s next move instead of reading her body movement. He brought his sword in her blind spot, expecting her to block. Claire, however, had expected this move beforehand; she was already attacking before Thais began his, swinging her sword on top of his; striking the hilt. Her sword’s momentum overcame Thais’s stab, sending the sword spinning into the long grass.
But Thais was far from defeated.
He leaped away from Claire’s next attack and threw out one hand, palm outright; white lightning flew from his hand. Claire’s eyes widened in surprise. She brought her sword about, the blade meeting the white light, as she tried to deflect the attack. This time, however, Thais’s lightning attack had the upper hand. The lightning exploded, sending Claire and her sword flying in two different directions.
Now both humans were unarmed, leaving both with only one weapon to use: magic; and increasing the likelihood this duel would become a draw.
Both man and woman looked at each other, waiting for the other to make a move.
It was said that valkar were beings of legend, people able to wield powers unlike the mortal human. Thais and Claire gave testament to this as Claire attacked first, flames dancing from her hand, flying towards her opponent. The inferno
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