The last day of running away... Aerobolt is almost home...
CH 23 Summary: The three foxes find two Guardian cubs underattack by a monstrous bird native to Myunae nu Eira called dactylon. Upon confronting it, Aerobolt learns the true nature and power of the Forces inside him.
In Chapter 24... he is on his last steps to freedom...
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The Guardians of Life: Justice (Book I)
Chapter Twenty-Four-
The Last Day

That night was as uncomfortable one. The tent was built for four. There were five foxes that night. There were four sleeping bags; the extra was for Plazma. Shade decided someone should pair with another to share a sleeping bag. Storm volunteered to share, and Cloud was the lucky one to sleep with him. Aerobolt, despite how entertaining the two were all night, was frustrated that they kept him awake all night with their antics. They shoved each other around all around the tent, hitting Aerobolt along nearly every part of his body. This frustrated Aerobolt more because it elongated the time it would take for him to see Castla nu Craara. He couldn’t help but smile whenever he heard Shade grunting, “Settle down,” every thirty minutes or so, though. It also let him know that no one was getting any sleep that night. The only one who did not make a sound all night was Iris. Aerobolt wondered if she was like him, and not making a sound. If not, he would wonder how on Nyethra the vixen cub could sleep through all this. To make matters worse, halfway through the night another storm blew in, and this one had the wind the last one was missing. It was as if the storm they dealt with two days ago left to find where its wind went, and when it found it, came back to assault them. It made the air inside the tent much colder, thus making it even more uncomfortable. At least Cloud and Storm were able to share each other’s heat, but Aerobolt, Shade, and Iris if she was awake, had no one. Aerobolt was at least glad to think that there were no more ridges and canyons he had to cross. The storm dumped a lot of snow. He could tell, because the tent sagged in the center of the roof. Shade was growling silently. She was too tired to rant on anything right now. Aerobolt wished he could get to sleep. He knew he was going to need it for the final stretch to Castla nu Craara. It was a long night, but Aerobolt eventually drifted off to sleep about an hour or so before dawn, and he would drift in and out until it was time to rise.
After the umpteenth time of drifting, just when the night seemed to be everlasting, light began flittering in the tent. That was cue for the storm to move out, as it would seem it was a night owl. Dawn was approaching. Aerobolt was able to get to full sleep for only a few minutes before Cloud suddenly moved and their tent rolled onto his arm. Storm retaliated by kicking out to move it again, only to knee Aerobolt in the crotch. Aerobolt was instantly awake and moaning. No one said anything. Aerobolt in pain. Shade too tired to rant. Iris just silent. And Aerobolt thought Cloud and Storm were silently laughing at him. You save two foxes’ lives and this is how you are repaid? He yawned, eyes watering. He tried to get to sleep again, as soon as the pain began to pass.
“Morning sleepyhead.”
His eyes opened. Whoever said that said it the instant his eyes last closed. It was already morning.
Aerobolt yawned loud and long. “I am going to kill you Storm and Cloud…” he said sleepily.
Shade’s voice was roughed up by exhaustion. “You will do no such thing… it was Cloud’s fault to begin with and Iris’s,” she said.
“Huh? What did I do?” Iris said quietly.
“You and Cloud snuck out of Castla nu Craara,” Shade answered.
“Oh that,” she said.
Aerobolt realized that everyone was exhausted. How far was it to Castla nu Craara? He wasn’t sure if he could be awake enough to finish the journey. No. He had come to far to stop just because he had one sleepless night. Surprisingly enough he was the first to leave the tent. Everyone else was too tired. But when he did, he fell into a bright white pile of cold. Yep. Now he was awake! Suddenly a mischievous thought crossed his mind.
“Hey you four! You should wake up!”
No response.
“Okay! Then how about you say nothing to this!” using Water Powers, he drifted the snow into the tent. Instant chaos. All four foxes started yelling out and flailing around, the tent shaking wildly in all directions. Aerobolt laughed. Shade was the first who managed to escape the mayhem that became their tent and pushed Aerobolt into a drift.
“You’re a total comedian aren’t you!?” she yelled, trying to sound angry but failing. She was smiling at him.
Aerobolt, back freezing, tried to get up, but Shade dumped a ton of snow on him and buried him. Seeing nothing but the cold white, he tried to escape. His entire body was white with snow. His fur kept it from making him too cold, but this snow nearly stiffened his limbs too much. Shaking as much snow off as he could, he got to his paws and tried to push Shade away into another drift. She dodged, and he instead went stumbling into Iris, who had emerged from the tent mostly unscathed, and they both fell, Aerobolt on top of her, into the drift he wanted Shade in.
“Whoa!” she exclaimed. “What did I do this time!?”
Shade was laughing now. Aerobolt didn’t want her to have the last laugh so he went to tackle her again, anticipating her dodging. As she did, he veered to the same direction as she did, and they both fell sideways into more snow.
Within minutes every fox was up and out of the tent, flinging each other into snow, or flinging snow at each other. It was a cold exhilaration that Aerobolt felt. Was this how it felt to have fun? True, legitimate fun? Aerobolt was so happy that he was finally free… finally happy… finally himself… in his rightful place.
But not yet. Castla nu Craara was not that much further away. They had to get going. They had to get going so they’re freedom may be true at long last. Even then it won’t be over; Arcane must be assembling his army as they goof off in the snow? They couldn’t waste anymore time. They had to act.
“Stop!” he yelled. It took him three tries before they finally stopped, and when they did, he relayed his concerns to Shade, and she agreed. It is time to go home.
With extra paws, disassembling the camp was much faster. Cloud had pinched his paw while trying to take down the tent after drying it out, however.
“Iridescent cubs that hurt!” he howled, waving his handpaw wildly in the air. Shade went to attend to him as Storm’s muzzle bumped Aerobolt’s arm.
“So. This is it,” he said as Shade yelled, “Stand still! It’s not even bleeding! You’ll be fine!” behind them.
Aerobolt looked into the cub’s face. “Yep. My life will change today. Tell me. What is apprenticeship like in Castla nu Craara.”
Storm shrugged. “I don’t really know. I was sent out of Castla nu Craara with Plazma a few days after I was apprenticed.”
“Why would they let an inexperienced cub apprentice make a journey like that?”
“For experience mainly. Many brand new Guardian apprentices are sent out into the field within a week of their approval,” Storm explained.
“And how many of them get hurt when they are out there?” Aerobolt asked.
“You could be surprised how few. Most of the time, they are just field trips around Nyethra. My case was anything but, however.”
Aerobolt wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. Shade approached them and interrupted their conversation. “All ready here?” she asked. It took Aerobolt a few seconds to realize the camp was already packed up. They were ready to finish the last day of traveling. The last day, of running away.
“Almost. Almost ready,” Storm said.
Shade nodded and yelled at Cloud. “Be careful next time, Cloud! That is going to be sore all day!”
Aerobolt looked at Storm determinedly. “You ready to go home, Storm?”
“The question is… are YOU ready, Aerobolt?” Storm countered.
“Oh Storm… I have been ready for sixteen years…”

The winds refused to cooperate on this last day. It was midday, and the exceptionally powerful winds were so powerful, they seemed to keep any of them from moving. The power of Shade’s Sylph Scarf however enabled her mobility, but the other four were still struggling with difficulty. Even through the use of the Force of Wind, Aerobolt still found it difficult. It was as if the weather was making one last attempt at keeping Aerobolt from going home. Many times Aerobolt found himself stepping back instead of forward. He looked over to his other companions. Being lighter than he was, the three cubs were struggling even harder and further behind him. The winds were monstrously strong! He wondered just why Sylph didn’t seem to want them there. Fighting the wind with no results made him exhausted quickly; a big gust sent him reeling backwards. He saw in the corner of his eyes the cubs being swept clean off their paws. Shade did not seem to notice; she was further ahead than everyone else. That Sylph Scarf… wasn’t there a way to broadcast its powers to her allies? There had to be. Aerobolt was through with the wind in no time at all.
“Shade!” he tried to shout through the gale. He didn’t even hear his own voice; the wind was just too loud. “Damn,” he tried to say, but could only hear the word in his head. He continued trying to fight the wind, but the wind was winning this battle. Aerobolt told himself to keep putting a paw forward. They seemed to disobey him, as they went back more than forward. Shade was really far ahead now. No way. It was like the desert all over again. Aerobolt knew he couldn’t let that happen. At least Storm wasn’t lost this time, but he did see that the three cubs were far behind him. Separation is happening as they walked, but Shade is completely oblivious! Aerobolt couldn’t help but feel fury towards the vixen for her ignorance, but he knew he should focus on keeping each other together. He knew the cubs had to be kept with at least him, or those nasty dactylon things will try to snack on them again. With one more glance at Shade, who was scaling a large hill with no difficulty in the distance, he moved towards the cubs, with the wind urging him along. He knew when he would reach them, he would lose sight of Shade, but he knew the cubs were more important, even if Shade was his mother.
“Storm! Cloud! Iris!” he yelled as he reached them. He had to keep the four of them together. No matter what.
“Aerobolt!” Storm cried. Aerobolt barely heard him. “Where did Shade go!?” he sounded frantic.
Aerobolt looked over his shoulder, and saw Shade staring ahead at the top of the hill. She did not continue, and was apparently waiting for them. Lucky break. But why is Shade just standing there? “Up there apparently,” Aerobolt jerked his head back to indicate the hill.
“Why didn’t she help us? If she could handle winds so strong?” Iris asked fretfully.
“I don’t suppose Shade knows her Sylph Scarf grants her protection from the wind!” Aerobolt yelled back. When he looked at the hill again, he saw Shade running back for them. She must have noticed at last their struggling. Aerobolt tried to help the cubs back to their paws, but ended up being tossed away by the wind. “Damn it!” he yelled.
It didn’t take long for Shade to come back, and she looked very guilty. “Oh Iridescence I’m so sorry!” she exclaimed. “Hold on!” Her Sylph Scarf, which despite the protection it provided, was flapping in the wind madly. It began to shine with a purplish aura that also began to resonate on Aerobolt’s body. The cubs looked on as the aura contained them as well. Instantly, the wind seemed to die down.
“I will get you for this one Shade!” Aerobolt cried out, but couldn’t help but feel grateful for the relief. He was still deafened by the wind, so he didn’t catch Shade’s reply as she started back up the hill. “What!?” he screamed at her as he realized how much a mess his and the cubs’ furs were.
“I can see Castla nu Craara from up here!” Aerobolt barely caught her voice on the wind as it flew at him.
Aerobolt gasped. What exhaustion he had was immediately forgotten. Without a word to the cubs, he sprinted his way up the hillside to meet Shade, who had made it up there again already. He cut his paws on sharp rocks, but still he ran without notice. His new home was within reach! The hill was not too big, but it still felt ages to him to scale it. But at last he reached the top. At the top, he saw the mountain range continuing endlessly on. Just a little to his left, at the end of the next valley was a massive stone structure built right into a mountain. Protruding from the mountain were seven huge spires. The entire stronghold had a distorted look to it. Even though it was still a few miles away, it looked monumental from where they stood. Aerobolt stood there, gaping at his new home. So this… is Castla nu Craara? The Haven of Being? This was where he would find his refuge from the life he never wanted? A new fresh start. A new life. His new life. At last, Aerobolt’s long time yearning has paid off. There it was, in a real dreamless reality, Castla nu Craara.
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Wanna start from the beginning? Here is Chapter One! http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11187661/
Here is my series' index! http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/5340298/