::{SILENCE SPEAKS}::

[Destiny]

The brute too moved forward. Pressing past the darkness and the demons and spirits that screamed in his auds. Optics glancing to Sirius every so often. Something bad was about to happen and Sothis knew it. Onwards the brute went.

The spector that appeared, leaping from the darkness snarling bitterly seemed to be Destiny. The former Destinian Alphess. Or it was her figure anyway. Eyes were hard and cold. Words were acidic. "You've failed me Sirius." Then she was gone again. Dissapearing into the darkness.

[Ärï]

Sirius saw the alphess, the femme he'd given his loyalty too, his friend. Another demon breaking down his faith in both himself and everything around him. His paws faltered once more as the demons of his former pack began to swirl around him once more, feeding on the weakness Destiny's rejection had given him. Sirius howled and writhed, trying to get away but the demons circled him, chanting words of disapproval, rejection, failure, qouting Destiny, counting off his failiures. Sirius let out a howl and tried to back away only to feel the unearthly chill of a specter's fangs.

[Destiny]

Sothis turned to his father. Purposely putting a furious look in his midnight eyes. "If you want to be a failure Sirius, then let the demons win. Let all wolven kind die. If you don't then ignore them. Everyone is depending on you so shape up." His voice was hard and cold. Words harsh but true. It was time the alpha relalized, because he didn't seem to, just how important he was. Sirius was one of the nine. He must find his part of the cure.

[Ärï]

Sirius writhed and leapt forward, shoving away from the demons. One of them struck his mark however. Unlike the phantoms this one seemed a true demon...real. Fangs sank into Sirius's muzzle. Something like acid burned Sirius as he struggled, jerking his muzzle away. Unlike what he expected, the wound didn't bleed. The fur where the demon had struck turned white...it was like a splatter of blood on his muzzle except it was ivory and burned. Shaking a little, Sirius lurched away from the demons. If he ever did die of a natural cause Sirius could be sure hellfire would be paradise compared to this hellhole.

[Sivoncé™]

<sup>Suddenly, a bright, silver wolf appeared and scattered the darker ones. Tulips, Sothis....the flowers of your love....
The wolf seemed to be Rusty, the elder who had attacked Carolina in the camp due to sickness. His eyes were sorroful and apologetic, but as soon as he'd spoken, his form was gone.

Kunai whimpered and shook as the corspe of Star loomed in front of him. This isn't real...she's well in Twilight with Stephen.... Taking a deep breath of the still, lifeless air, he followed Sothis and Sirius farther into the forest.

A large crack was hear as the forest began to split.

Silence and Lily were locked in battle, still, but the odds for the old healer were not looking well.
Greet death for me, Mira!
Only after you!
Lily's claws slashed straight through the healer's neck, nearly severing her head and causing a river of scarlet blood to flow out under her claws.
She laughed coldly, then prepared to follow the nine into the Spirit Wood.</sup>

[Destiny]

The brute nodded. The familier figure of Rusty was like a needle stabbing his heart. But he ignored it.
Must find tulips.
That's my duty.
Tulips.
The brute pushed deeper into the Spirit Wood. Optics slicing in every place where the flowers could be. Deeper and deeper he went. Would he ever make it back out?

[Sivoncé™]

^{You've no respect for this place...
That will do you no good, Sirius.
Headstrong and stubborn, you may be...
But I'll give you credit for getting this far...
Not so angry, not so bitter....then maybe you'll find the chamomile you search for. Nirvana growled, then dispersed.}

[Ärï]

Chamomile The word rang in Sirius's mind as Nirvana vanished. His paws slowed but this time he wasn't fearing the spectors of his past that snapped close at his heels. He had to relax. This place may be a place of death and darkness but there was no shadow without light, no light without shadow. Not all beings in this place could be bad...could they? Though the demons took forms of familiar wolves, Sirius knew them to be dead and resting peacefully. Springing forward again, Sirius ran onward in search of the herb, chamomile.

A plant came into view, growing in the shadows in a small bush. White flowers with bright yellow centers seemed to beat back the darkness. The scent was familiar to the herb he had once searched for when Sedaka's stores had been low. Loping over to it, Sirius sniffed it, savoring the familiar scent. Carefully he nipped off several of the flowers and looked around, silently thanking whoever had put the plant here. Turning, he bounded after Sothis and the others.

[Sheera]

Anelie rushed forward her fur felt as though it was disinigrating with each step she took. Flashes of the five wolves came to her mind. Their fur was gone, as was their skin. They looked as though thay had been roughly skinned, but they stared at her, straight in the eye and screamed, high pitched screams.
Anelie stumbled, but managed to catch herself before she fell.
A large female with dark green eyes stared into her. They were sinister and wild, this was a wolf she had not seen before.
Mother! she yelped within her, not knowing why she had blurted it out; for Mist was her birth mother, one whom raised her.
Tears stained her eyes as she pushed onward with determination. She pushed past the white wolf, soon to find she was facing another of the nine;
An image of Kunai glared at her with hatrid. She almost halted in surprise, for she was sure that he wouldn't have turned back.
Kunai? she whimpered in a tone so feeble. She decided that this image was one in which was sent to defeat her senses. She pushed past the ebony wolf and pushed onward.

[Sivoncé™]

^{Sparkling Ember spotted Anelie and darted at the shadows around her, driving away the monsters of the dark. "Hush, Anelie. You were very young when I was around, but perhaps you remember me among the Sheerans. Well, I'm actually a Miran...and I shall rest among them. But part of me still is loyal to the Sheerans, and Mist is my best friend. I won't let her daughter die here. Fight this, Anelie, and search for the azaeleas." she whispered to the young wolf, slashing back at the wraiths who were chasing Anelie.}

[Sheera]

Anelie rushed forward her mind full of determination, one word sputtering in her head.
Azaleas...
Azaleas...
Azaleas...
Then another word sputtered across her mind.
Death...
Death...
She fought it and thought rapidly.
Azaleas, Azaleas, Azaleas...
A calming word crushed upon her.
Hope...
Hope...
She clung to it as the bright images of purple flowers, orange flowers, pink flowers, white flowers, and multi-colored flowers flashed through her mind.
Azaleas. she confirmed in her mind.
Her paws rushed forward, yet she saw everythingg clear and still. She rushed around, searching for purple, orange, pink, or white. Everything was empty! It seemed that what lay around her was useless herbs, ones that kill.
Azaleas, is... poisonous... a voice sputtered within her as though choked by blood.
Poisonous? she asked the voice.
Poisonous. the sputtering voice confirmed.
Anelie shook her head, but forced her paws deeper into the woods. She saw a flash of a bright purple plant and glanced hopefully at it.
Nightshade. the voice sputtered at her.
She shook her head and looked forward once more.
Another flash of what looked like ebony berries reached the corner of her eyes.
She whipped her head towards it only to see dark indigo berries.
Deadly nightshade, atropa belladonna... the voice growled through the endless sputtering, as though annoyed by her ignorance.
She ran forward faster.
The war lives on! THE WAR LIVES ON! the sputtering voice howled in an outrageously loud voice full of hatrid and satisfaction.

[Kismet//Accalia]

Shadow sped through the dark woods, trying to keep her mind on her mission. She didn't know exactly what she had to do, though. Her eyes did wonder back and forth, catching the eyes of demons in the forms of wolves most closest to her. None of the wolves she saw were that close, though, except one that she saw standing in front of her. The sight of the wolf made her skid to a halt and stare in horror.

It was a wolf with white fur stained with blood. It was missing its left ear and eye and the rest of its head was teared up. Its legs were also marked with deep scars. Shadow knew who the wolf was. The closest wolf to her. Axle. She always thought he was alive, though. Then again, she hadn't seen him since the sickness became even a bigger problem.

Shadow shook her head. She couldn't let the demons get to her. She had to just keep going. She sprinted past the image without even turning to glance at it once.

[Sivoncé™]

<sup>Ember was at Anelie's side once more. "Look closer, Anelie. Look past the herbs that have tattered the past. Look for the poison that will kill the disease, and work in your favor,"

Another silvery wolf was at Shadow's side. Cabbage... Sharpie murmured in the wolf's ear.</sup>

[mudfang]

Tisana searched furiously for what she knew was her part.
Clementines...
Clementines...

A black form appeared in her head. "Up ahead, Tisana. A tree. Find the tree..."

Tisana was near hysteria again. She started screaming it in her head. Then she knew... that's why she knew that song so well...

I was once a treehouse,
I lived in a cake.
But I never saw the way,
The orange slayed the rake.

She dashed foreward. So many trees... a jagged fern. The rake. And there was her tree.

A dark thing shadowed the brillance of the tree. She gasped. "LEAVE!" Don't look in the dark...

[Sheera]

Anelie's eyes blinked as she seemed to block out the herbs in which would only drag her down. She saw nothing, and she began to feel anxious. Her skin seemed to be in flames, something burned her pelt. It seemed as though something from above was pressing down on her, but she raced forward even as she was forced into a lower crouch.
Her ears were pinned to her head, her tail low, her shoulders hunched as she ran; the force was pushing harder, but she pushed the forced upward, not allowing it to sufficate her.