potential.”
<><><><><>
It was midnight, and the Darkcover camp was calm. The saloli of Darkcover were sleeping peacefully in their branches, dreaming of the day when they alone would rule the forest. The wind moaned loudly, as if it knew what evils Darkcover was planning. But not everyone was asleep. A single saloli could be seen bounding across the camp, towards the tree that Goliath alone slept in. Climbing to the highest branch, he tentatively prodded Goliath in the side to wake him up.
“ Uuuhg,” said Goliath, coming out of his deep slumber, “This had better be important, Ratty.”
Ratty was aptly named, because his tail was completely hairless, giving it the appearance of a rat’s tail. “Y-yes sir!” the timid saloli said, not wanting to get on Goliath’s bad side. Bad things happened to the saloli who did that. “I just- I mean, I have- I mean…”
“ Spit it out!” the giant saloli spat derisively. He didn’t like Ratty, but tolerated him because he was Darkcover’s prophet.
“ I just had a dream from Valde Abbas! He has a warning for you!”
“ Well, let’s hear it!” said Goliath impatiently.
“ Yes sir! He says that not all will go as you expect. Beware the one with the body of a saloli, the past of a human, and the heart of a hero, for he could put your plans into jeopardy.”
Goliath was silent for a moment. Then he smiled and said, “Which means nothing can go wrong! What saloli has ‘the past of a human?’ None! Your dream is a blessing, Ratty! It means we have nothing to fear!”
Chapter Four
“ Come on, trainees, wake up, wake up!” Gnaw yelled.
This time, Blaze was ready. When he heard the head trainer, he jumped up with all the other trainees and scrambled down the tree to stand in line. His efforts did not go unnoticed.
“ Very good, Blaze! You’re getting the hang of this!” Gnaw congratulated him, “Now everybody break up and do your daily exercises!”
As Blaze once again followed Thunder to their spot, another saloli in their group hung back and waited for him. Blaze was used to being around saloli enough to tell that this was a female. He walked up to her.
“ Hi!” she said, “How are you?”
“ Fine.” Blaze answered, not given to the idea of another trainee besides Jasper really being nice to him. “What do you want?”
“ I just wanted to meet you.” The girl saloli said, “I thought you looked kind of lonely.”
“ Well, you met me. And I’m fine,” Blaze answered. Was it just him, or was this saloli beginning to look pretty?
No! That’s disgusting!
“ Okay, then I’ll just go then,” she said, looking a bit hurt. “Oh, my name’s Chestnut, by the way.”
Blaze could see why she was named Chestnut. Her pelt was a shiny brown, nut-like in hue. He immediately felt bad about rejecting her like he did.
“ Hey,” he called after her, “We could hang out after training, if you want.”
“ Yeah,” Chestnut said, smiling, “I’d like that.”
“ Come on, Chestnut, get over here!” Thunder yelled.
As Blaze followed Chestnut over to the rest of the group, Thunder suddenly put himself in front of him. “Chestnut’s my sister,” he growled, “If you even think about touching her, outsider, I will kill you.”
“ Duly noted,” Blaze said, trying not to sound intimidated.
“ I swear it, I’ll kill you,” Thunder repeated, “Now do your exercises.”
Blaze tried to obey, but he couldn’t get his mind off of Chestnut, and what he may have felt for her. Was it wrong for him to admire another saloli like that? He was a human! Or, at least he used to be. He was a saloli now, but did that make it right? Should he give into his instincts that easily? Jeremy Lander was gone, and Blaze had taken his place. Did that mean he should live as a saloli, or should he try to keep the human that was still
<><><><><>
It was midnight, and the Darkcover camp was calm. The saloli of Darkcover were sleeping peacefully in their branches, dreaming of the day when they alone would rule the forest. The wind moaned loudly, as if it knew what evils Darkcover was planning. But not everyone was asleep. A single saloli could be seen bounding across the camp, towards the tree that Goliath alone slept in. Climbing to the highest branch, he tentatively prodded Goliath in the side to wake him up.
“ Uuuhg,” said Goliath, coming out of his deep slumber, “This had better be important, Ratty.”
Ratty was aptly named, because his tail was completely hairless, giving it the appearance of a rat’s tail. “Y-yes sir!” the timid saloli said, not wanting to get on Goliath’s bad side. Bad things happened to the saloli who did that. “I just- I mean, I have- I mean…”
“ Spit it out!” the giant saloli spat derisively. He didn’t like Ratty, but tolerated him because he was Darkcover’s prophet.
“ I just had a dream from Valde Abbas! He has a warning for you!”
“ Well, let’s hear it!” said Goliath impatiently.
“ Yes sir! He says that not all will go as you expect. Beware the one with the body of a saloli, the past of a human, and the heart of a hero, for he could put your plans into jeopardy.”
Goliath was silent for a moment. Then he smiled and said, “Which means nothing can go wrong! What saloli has ‘the past of a human?’ None! Your dream is a blessing, Ratty! It means we have nothing to fear!”
Chapter Four
“ Come on, trainees, wake up, wake up!” Gnaw yelled.
This time, Blaze was ready. When he heard the head trainer, he jumped up with all the other trainees and scrambled down the tree to stand in line. His efforts did not go unnoticed.
“ Very good, Blaze! You’re getting the hang of this!” Gnaw congratulated him, “Now everybody break up and do your daily exercises!”
As Blaze once again followed Thunder to their spot, another saloli in their group hung back and waited for him. Blaze was used to being around saloli enough to tell that this was a female. He walked up to her.
“ Hi!” she said, “How are you?”
“ Fine.” Blaze answered, not given to the idea of another trainee besides Jasper really being nice to him. “What do you want?”
“ I just wanted to meet you.” The girl saloli said, “I thought you looked kind of lonely.”
“ Well, you met me. And I’m fine,” Blaze answered. Was it just him, or was this saloli beginning to look pretty?
No! That’s disgusting!
“ Okay, then I’ll just go then,” she said, looking a bit hurt. “Oh, my name’s Chestnut, by the way.”
Blaze could see why she was named Chestnut. Her pelt was a shiny brown, nut-like in hue. He immediately felt bad about rejecting her like he did.
“ Hey,” he called after her, “We could hang out after training, if you want.”
“ Yeah,” Chestnut said, smiling, “I’d like that.”
“ Come on, Chestnut, get over here!” Thunder yelled.
As Blaze followed Chestnut over to the rest of the group, Thunder suddenly put himself in front of him. “Chestnut’s my sister,” he growled, “If you even think about touching her, outsider, I will kill you.”
“ Duly noted,” Blaze said, trying not to sound intimidated.
“ I swear it, I’ll kill you,” Thunder repeated, “Now do your exercises.”
Blaze tried to obey, but he couldn’t get his mind off of Chestnut, and what he may have felt for her. Was it wrong for him to admire another saloli like that? He was a human! Or, at least he used to be. He was a saloli now, but did that make it right? Should he give into his instincts that easily? Jeremy Lander was gone, and Blaze had taken his place. Did that mean he should live as a saloli, or should he try to keep the human that was still
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