[The moment the flowers bloom, all Trackers are to rush the weaker wolves. Focus on the Soulless on the verge of death. If you have to, work in pairs. Hunters, you go for the Rogues that are the strongest. Those are the ones who will be using their knowledge and not their instincts to fight.] I command, letting Coro continue to try and taunt us from the other side into starting the battle before the flowers have bloomed. But we know better.
[Can we slowly start to make our way around the forest? We can make it to them just in time for the flowers to bloom.] Scarlet, one of Amberle’s Trackers, asks. I think over the question for a moment, looking to the sky to see the small rays of sunshine slowly starting to stretch across the sky. The flowers will bloom any moment now.
[Yes, but only those confident enough to stay as silent as the wind.] With that, I feel a shift as some wolves fade back. Trackers always amaze me with how ghostlike their movements are, rivalling my own. It would be easier for them to kill the Soulless and let their souls become whole again and rejoin the wolves on the other side. Maybe they could be reborn as sane wolves and find love and a better life.
[Those from the Royal Pack, you will help to kill the wolves that are the weakest. I know your speed, and it is just below that of the Trackers. Again, all of you, Hunters and Guards, can pair up if you see fit.] I continue the orders.
[If you see anything suspicious or need help, send it through the link.]
"Crystalline, this war will be over if you just hand me your crown." Coro’s voice brings my attention back to him after the orders have been sent. I can see his cocky smile once again on his face as I scoff at his words. I will not give my Crown to him willingly.
“If you want my Crown so badly, then you will have to take it from my dead body.” I shout back, letting out a low growl. I can see a flash of anger in his eyes as he stares at me, his cocky grin falling from his face.
“If that’s how you want to play it, then so be it, Little Sister. Today, your short reign as Queen will come to an end, and I will kill you.” His words are spoken angrily, his hatred for me felt through the air. But he has nothing to be angry about. Had he been a good older brother, we could have fought for the throne properly as pups. I could have lived in the era I was born in and grew up with my twin. But Coro brought this disaster upon us himself. Today, he will be the one to die.
Silence settles between the two sides, only the occasional growl and snarls filling the air. And then the sun rose and with it came the blooming of the moonflowers. Their white petals cover the ground in a blanket of floral scents. It’s a shame that now their will be blood staining their purity.
“Attack, my soldiers, and bring me my sister’s head!” Coro commands, a resounding scream coming from his wolves. This is all we need for my army to rush forward, the final battle now beginning.
***
The Trackers quickly descend from the trees surrounding the meadow, their agile bodies making quick work in slicing open their unsuspecting target’s throat before they move on to the next. The Hunters have paired up with a Royal Soldier, taking turns attacking and defending the other as piles of dead Rogues fall to the ground.
All around me are furs of various colours. At one point, I catch sight of Amberle's fire-coloured wolf and Dominic's ice-coloured wolf ripping apart a black Soulless before they disappear once again. I know my white fur is an easier target, as I dodge and fight off multiple Soulless at a time.
I find myself in an endless cycle of dodge, claw, bite, kill, and retreat while leaving a trail of dead Soulless in my wake. My muzzle is now stained black by the foul blood of the decaying wolves, but sadly I have grown used to the stench since an hour of battling has already passed.
Witches begin popping in and taking the wolves from my side away to be treated. Thanks to Cassandra, her coven came last-minute, just in time to keep anyone fighting for me from dying to grievous wounds.
[Crystalline, go after Coro.] Amberle calls out through the link for all to hear, her wolf tackling down a Rogue that was just about to take a swipe at me.
[They are just trying to wear you down. Use your agility to dodge them all and go kill that bastard.] Ariven adds as the others agree with these two. I nod, knowing that everyone is right and that someone has to kill Coro for this battle to end.
[Go get him, Crystalline.]
Geminie urges me on as she stands to the right electrocuting a few Soulless that have cornered her. I wince, watching as the dead Soulless fall to the ground crispier then when they cornered the Future Goddess. With a deep breath, I let out a long howl, the sounds of fighting pausing for a moment giving me a chance to see that my side is winning. Good.
Letting the power of my blood out, I focus my energy in finding Coro, allowing my Royal Blood to activate and seek out others with the same power inside. I can feel Geminie, her blood, although diluted, still holding the power of the Royals inside her. Then I feel his. Royal Blood with the foul taste of death and decay slams against my power, forcing a growl out of me.
For some reason, I feel like he is the cause of the Soulless and how they are created. Dodging the wolves in my way, I rush towards the source of this diseased power in search of my brother. Breaking through a blockade of Rogues, I come face to face with Coro and snarl at the black wolf with sky-blue eyes. My brother stands before me, his wolf triple my size, and I realize just how much of a disadvantage I may be at.
We stare at each other, sizing up one another while circling the small clearing of moonflowers untouched by the signs of war. Coro snarls a warning at me, his sharp canines dripping with saliva. I growl back, ready to dodge at a moments notice.