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Elest stood before the entire Human army, an awe inspiring sight to say the least. He had never see so many people at one time before and here he was; in front of them ready to speak. In his new leather armor, Elest no longer looked like the man he once was, but was about to address the people as their leader in battle. He coughed once before started his speech.

"Humans of all sizes! The time of our deliverance is nigh. Our time to claim ourselves as the leaders of the world has come. Humans are the dominant race and will stay. We are intelligent! We can spread ideas; have openness about what we want." He paused a bit. "The only creatures that are in our path are the devilish creatures that have haunted us for as long as anybody can remember! The Lycans! Today, as a messenger from the Elif, I am proud to announce that we are going to announce a campaign against the Lycans. Not one of peace, not one of land, no, one of extermination. To wipe them from the world!"

Cheers rallied from the crowd as they agreed with him.

"I know that each of us has had a wrong done to us by them. Each of us has a reason to go to war. But for me it goes deeper then personal. My own blood, my own family was taken. My sister, all the family I have left, was taken by them. She...she was used as..as a breeder! The monsters and their savage ways. They must be stopped! Today we march to Tempest to gear up for our greatest moment. A moment that will be told throughout generations. The day that Humans took the world from monsters!"

More cheers echoed and Elest smiled. This was such a great feeling. He was going to save his sister, even after he told her to leave and protect herself. Now he was going to be able to protect her.

Fulien watched from behind with the rest of the Elif council. He smiled at the speech. "Such perfect words for this." The rest of the council agreed.

Fulien chuckled. "We Humans aren't as intelligent as we think. We are easy to deceive and trick, as long as you know how." He looked back at Elest standing before the crowd preaching to them about the atrocities of the Lycans. "And I know how."

He gave a smug smile as his true nature showed. Through the corrupt leaders head ran plots to keep himself at the top, and his successor, whom he has yet to choose.

He thought that the Lycans were the only thing between him and ruling the land for himself. The only thing he needed was a cause to head off to war.

"If there is one thing we are, it's stubborn. Humans won't do anything unless there is a good reason." He chucked once more. "A brother after some revenge is almost too good to be true."

The speech was drawing to a close and Elest smiled. The entire crowed was now filled with the same rage he was, and was dedicated to the cause of wiping the Lycans from this land. To purify it under the Humans and Fuilen the Third. They cheered as Fulien followed after Elest.

"Brothers! As Elest said the time is here! We must march against the Lycans, they will not be able to stop our mighty power! But first we must gather out supplies. We will head south, to Tempest, and arm ourselves with the latest weapons. We, as a force, will be unstoppable."

More cheering followed and he pointed into the direction to march. The whole army, eagerly awaiting battle, turned.

Leith found himself in the middle of a burning forest. Flames rose as high as the trees encompassing the entire area in smoke. But somehow he found no problem breathing, almost like he wasn't at all. The smoke didn't bother his eyes either, all he had to do was make one sweep with his paw and a pathway appeared for him. Free of any hazards. He took several steps forward. It seemed as though the flames work working in slow motion, as was the rest of the world. He looked down at his paws, nothing seemed different. His pads were still as he knew them, even the scars he had from hunting were still there. This was defiantly him.

Leith pushed himself further, if there was one thing that bothered him it was the heat from the fire. One of the larger flames spread toward him and in an instinctual motion Leith waved his arms to cover himself. He squeezed his eyes shut waiting for the flames to crash over him, but nothing came. He took a peak at what had happened. The fire was gone! All that was left was the burnt grass and trees. He looked around and it was spreading, all of the flames were diminishing in size until they were gone completely.

"What?"

He knelt down and touched the burn grass, strange, it didn't feel burnt. It felt like the grass he knew. Green, soft, vibrant, and healthy. Leith took back his paw and to his surprise, in the midst of the death, burnt grass was a green, luscious patch in the outline of his paw right where he had touched it. The Lycan touched another patch of dead grass and before his eyes he saw the grass turn from its blackened color to a vibrant green and it rose to stand on its own. Leith pulled his paw back and once again looked at it. There was nothing different about it, the scars were still there. He looked all around him once again. He rose his paw in front of him and swept the air around him and once again the grass started to change. But this time it didn't stop there; it spread to the trees and climbed up the dead bark bringing it back to its lively brown color. Once it reached the leaves, they sprouted anew just as they would during the hunting season.

He watched in awe as the forest transformed around him, from a burnt out husk, to a vibrant show of life. Leith smiled, this felt good! The life started spreading down the line where it came from. Leith ran after it. He wondered what was at the end. As he ran he noticed that he wasn't even touching the ground anymore. His feet were gliding along the very tips of the grass, floating above the ground. Another large, toothy smile formed in him. This was too good to be true.

In the distance he saw a small light, the life was leading him towards it.

"That must be what started the fire"

It grew in his vision. He slowed to a walk and approached the light. It was a fire, like at the feasts, with a ring of persons around it. He walked around them and to his surprise they were all people he knew! Luna, Kalah, the elder, Luyet, and even, he took a closer look. Himself!

Leith stepped forward and reached out, trembling. It was like they didn't notice him. His paw got ever so closer to Kalah's shoulder. He touched her and she turned around. Once she laid her eyes on him she squealed and backed away from him. Each of them turned to look at what she screamed at and all of them froze in terror, including himself.

"You need to put the fire out." He said trying to explain. It felt like his voice rattled the land and echoed through the forest for minutes. They kept cowering, not following his instructions.

"You just need to put the fire out. You cannot control it. Look what it can do."

Leith raised his paw again and once again all the trees withered and the grass turned black and died. They all looked around them and saw what could happen, but still they did nothing. Almost as if they were too scared to do it. So with another wave of his paw he brought the vegetation back to life. Then, with a deep breath, he blew on the fire and like a great gust of wind, it vanished drawing blackness over the forest.

An eye awoke in terror to what it just saw. Leith sat up. He was still in his hut, where he had laid down to sleep last night. He looked at his paws just as in the dream. They were still the same as he remembered. A sigh of relief escaped him along with a little tear.

"What was that?" He asked himself. It was a dream yes, but it was the most realistic dream he had ever had. He could distinctively remember the waving of his paws to keep the forces of nature at bay. He could remember the smell of the smoke and how it didn't affect him, the heat and how he could simply wave it away. His voice, booming across the land. The feeling like he was floating. It was unreal, yet seemed realistic at the same time.

Leith really didn't know what to think of the dream and just to make sure he waved his paw ahead of him. Nothing happened, much to his relief. He threw back his head and closed his eyes, quietly saying a prayer to Arita and Sumitar. Hoping to gain insight on the meaning of the dream. He sighed and lazily stood up. His fur felt matted for some reason, so he idly rubbed it, trying to get it back to its normal pattern before heading out.

Once he got out of the hut he noticed that Tve was already busy with activity and the sun had just barely managed to peak over the horizon. It seemed that everybody was getting ready to head over the Ile foothills. A couple of Lycans were sparring with each other, practicing before battle. Others were performing rituals and sacrifices to Arita and Sumitar to protect them from harm. Leith had once performed something similar before his first hunt with Luyet. It certainly felt like it helped.

He searched through the town for Luna though to inform her of the decision he made last night with Kalah. It was certainly a tough one, but most of him felt it was the right one.

He eventually found her on the edge of town. She was sitting not doing anything. Leith cocked his head to one side and approached her.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked in the same manner she had done several days before.

The Human turned to him in surprise, not expecting him to do that.

"Oh. Hi Leith, I don't know. There are just so many things going on at once. I don't know what to think. For example, how come none of these Lycans are surprised to see me? After all, you are headed to fight my race."

"Each of them has been told in the message that was sent to each town that a Human would be accompanying our side. Each of them dose hold a little resentment, but we are understanding creatures."

Leith sighed and sat next to her, studying the ground between his legs. "Luna, there is something I have to tell you."

She placed a hand on his furred back, still a feeling she hadn't become accustomed to. "What is it?"

A small shiver shot through his back and a feeling of guilt stuck in his gut. His human side wanted to say nothing, never mind.

"It is difficult to say."

Luna began to take notice of his voice, it's sad, whiny sound and thought this couldn't be good.

"Luna, I had to make a choice last night."

"A choice?" She asked not really following what this had to do with her.

"Yes. I had to make a decision between you or my...my original love, Kalah."

Luna took her hand off of Leith. "Your original love?"

All he could do was nod. "I choose her. I do not think any Human society would accept me."

Luna felt rage build up inside of her. "Well Lycan society certainly seems to accept me just fine! Like you just said!" She stood up and stomped her foot on the ground.

"Luna, I am sorry. But you do not understand our customs. Like when you wanted me to mate that night, did you understand that if I did that would mean that we would be together?"

Luna took a step back; she didn't know. Leith stood up, standing a full foot taller than her. "You do not understand what actions can do, especially in this race."

Luna looked at him with devastating eyes and turned, walking away. Leith threw back his head again and tears wetted his fur. Tears from his human side.

Luna's face weakened and she blinked a couple times to clear the tears and the stopped. Her head turned, Leith still stood there his head thrown back, crying. Luna dropped her head and moved on. Still with him on her mind.

Kalah watched from a distance making sure he actually followed through. She knew it wasn't fair and she knew what Luna was going through. It was just like when he left Kamit. She wanted to see him again, wanted to touch him again, be there, do anything. Part of her wondered what she would do, it would have to be spectacular. Something to remember.

The Elder closed his eyes and raised his nose in the air. He drew in a deep breath through his black nose. The air was clean, cool, and crisp. His graying fur fluttered in the slight wind. He really didn't have much to say, nothing really. All the Lycans before him had enough reason to do what they were doing and why they were doing it. It was more of a question of when. They were all ready to go take back their land.

The Elder drew in another breath. He knew what he was going to say.

A song started from his muzzle and by the second line most all of the Lycans were singing, or howling along.

"Prrrr Whrrgru Prrrgoo Wharooo

Prrgoo Whrrgru Yofhrr Wharoo

Yofhoo Arooooooo

Rrrwhrurr oo Hroouoh Yooyrr

Aroo whofrr

Grru oo aru Hoo

Gurah Prrrrr

Prr Whrrgru Prrgoo Wharoo

Oo Prrgoo Whrrgru Yofhrr Wharoo

Yofhoo Arooooooooooo."

To Luna it was familiar. It was the song that Leith had sung in the first couple of days that they had met. It was in the old dialect and Luna couldn't understand it but she remembered the translation Leith had given her when he sang it.

"Where Spring meets Summer.

Where Summer meets Fall.

It all ends in Winter.

The Sun hides and the land turns White.

To show the spilt Blood.

The fight will rage and Death with rise.

Until Spring

But Spring meets Summer

And Summer meets Fall.

It all ends in Winter."

She could tell it was a crude translation, almost like it wasn't meant to be sang in the new language, like it would lose its meaning. She felt a little out of it for most of what she could do was hum the sad tune. But that's what she did. A chorus of howls and voices lifted into the air then the Elder motioned. The singing didn't stop but the march started. The march to cross the Ile foothills to take back their land.