I walk a lonley road....

"I hope for the both of us that I'm right," Angie said, standing over the unconscious body. She looked over her shoulder at the mountain, the full moon cusping the edge. From there, she could see a tiny, fox-like silhouette. "C'mon. Aku-Aku's waiting. He probably has all the supplies up there. We should drag Tyrone's body up, but we'll have to be careful... He's injured, afterall. And I know zilch when it comes to healing," she said, placing her jaws around a chunk of flesh between Tyrone's shoulders, lifting with what remaining strength she had. It was clear that she was exhausted, but she knew that she couldn't rest. Who knew when Tyrone would wake up? She looked to Raven expectantly. She couldn't do this alone...

Umbulali stumbled in the darkness, blood gushing from his neck, his body now littered with scars. He coughed, spitting up blood and old meat, snarling along the way. When he looked up, he found a pair of orange eyes burning into his; slits of hatred. "Now, don't look at me like that, Tyrone. So you got a boo-boo. Would you like your dear mother to kiss it for you?" Umbulali cackled. Tyrone's only response was an audible one - a low, treacherous growl. Umbulali frowned. It was then that he realized that somehow, Tyrone was the same size as him... He was no longer a tiny whelp capable of fitting into his jaws. He raised his head, ready for yet another fight. "Now, this will not do..."

Pulling Tyrone's large form up the mountain was no easy task. Moving him across the sand to the foot of the plateau was simple enough, but it would require much strength of the both of them to carry him up. Angie set her end down, trying to think things through and catch her breath. There was chance she could carry him on her back... but she was too exhausted to do so. And Raven was still wounded... Angie could see blood still dripping from the slash in her shoulder. Hopefully, Aku-Aku would be able to address their injuries as well. Knowing that there was still much work to be done, Angie picked up Tyrone's scruff again, and hauled him up the mountain. He would occasionally twitch or spasm, but it was not enough for him to be awake. Perhaps there was something going on inside, something that had to do with the evil soul to invade his body... It was still hard to believe that the brute before her was her father, her sire...

Angie opened her mouth to protest, but instead closed it, seeing the fiery determination in Raven's eyes. Raven got beneath him and Angie had to use her remaining strength to balance him on her back. He was such a large brute that he nearly covered Raven completely. "I'll walk behind you, in case anything happens," Angie said, walking around in the back of them. If Tyrone woke up, they would have a quick means of escape, or, if Raven fell, she'd be able to catch her... Though, she knew she wasn't strong enough to catch Tyrone if Raven dropped him. However, it looked like a risk they would have to take. Angie found her eyes straying to Raven's wound, still bleeding, but not as badly as before. It was a wound that would heal. Hopefully, if what happened to Tyrone was successful with Aku-Aku, then Raven's heart would heal as well. It was all Angie really wanted to see, afterall.

The battle within was unlike any battle that had ever been waged before. Two wolves, almost exactly the same in form and strength, tore one another to pieces. When one fell the other rose, but as the other rose, he fell. It was an endless cycle. They were fighting in the darkness, tumbling into an endless oblivion - never stopping, never waiting. Their claws ripped skin and their jaws crunched bones, and still, they rose to face one another again and again. Their wills were as matched as their strength, but even for all they fought, they knew that only one could be the victor...

The climb wasn't easy for Raven. Angie stayed close, picking up Tyrone's body when he began to slip, carrying one of his legs when the burden became to heavy. They were reaching the top, now. "Only a couple of more feet," Angie replied, pushing her body against Raven's to keep her moving and keep her upright. If Raven stopped, there was a risk of dropping Tyrone down the mountainside altogether. With a few more steps, they reached the flattened top of the plateau, where Aku-Aku stood next to his den, anticipating their arrival. He scampered up to them, but left them room to move. "Easy does it with his body now, you have no idea of the war inside him at the moment..." he said, watching them with his silvery eyes, though he could see nothing at all. "When you drop him, you can rest. I'll be tending to his wounds first and making sure that he stays asleep."

Aku-Aku paused, looking up at Raven with his great, silver eyes. "I completely understand. I will try to make it as painless as possible, if necessary," he said, and then walked up to the big wolf's slumbering form. He sniffed the blood crusted around Tyrone's shoulder and placed his little fox paws on the wounds, pressing on certain spots, examining him even though he could not see. He could feel Angie and Raven's eyes upon him, but he did not mind; this was their friend, afterall. He sniffed Tyrone's breath and recoiled at the horrible smell, the smell of death. He scampered over to his den and pulled out a few dried clumps of desert passionflowers, stuffing them into Tyrone's mouth and nudging his jaws together to not so much eat the plant, but to release the juices and absorb the medicine through his gums. He next went into his den and pulled out a bush-like bundle with yellow buds, dipped it in the watering hole, and then used his maw to squeeze out the water, dripping drops into Tyrone's open wounds. He then went into his den thrice more and pulled out a stick wrapped in cobwebs, in which he used as a bandage over the big wolf's injuries.

Aku-Aku walked over to Raven and Angie, who were now lying in exhaustion on the plateau ground. "Your friend will be out for quite some time. Another day, at least. He will wake next sunset. Then, the desert and I will be able to treat him" he said, hoping to ease their spirits. "If you would, allow me to examine your wounds."

Angie nudged Raven with his nose. Her cheek was still bleeding, but the cut on Raven's shoulder was the deepest injury between the both of them. "I'll be okay for now," she whispered, and laid her head on her paws.

"I know," Aku-Aku replied about Raven's wound, though he could not see it. The scent of her blood was thick enough in his nares to let him know. With his tongue he cleaned away the crusted blood and sand, spitting out the matted fur beside him. "This is going to hurt," he murmured, picking up the soaked creosote plant, and squeezed the droplets into her open wound. He then used his tiny fox paws to push the folds of her ripped flesh together, tossed a yellow powder on it, and covered it with cobwebs. Aku-Aku's bat-like ears twitched at her words.

"He will be unpleasant," he said shortly. "When you or Angela are rested enough, I will require your assistance before he wakes. While I could restrain him now, my bones are old and the night is waning. I am a being of the night, but trust me, I will wake an hour or so before he does to prepare." His moon-like gaze turned to Angie. "And your injuries?"

"I'll be okay. It's just a scratch and some bruises," Angie replied, and Aku-Aku nodded, and headed off for his den. Angie sighed, wrapped her tail around her worn body, her yellow gaze on the moon. She had never thought that things would have ended up quite like this...

"Yeah, I'm fine," Angie replied, smiling, her cheek twinging in pain but not bleeding. "I've been through a lot worse, you could say..." She looked at her paws, considering her next words, what she wanted to tell Raven. Now that she knew that this Tyrone fellow was her blood-father, anything she said about her pack could be taken as his pack as well. There was, of course, the mystery as to why Tyrone vanished. Her wicked mother had told her stories of how he was a good-for-nothing brute of a husband, though she didn't know how much of that was true. She didn't know the real Tyrone much at all. If anything, she felt closer to Raven than this fellow who shared her fur and blood. However, there was time to kill, and it was better to get things out in the open than to keep them all held in.

"As you probably know... Our pack wasn't the friendliest one, even to one another. There was always some kind of chaos going on," she said, meeting Raven's blue eyes directly. "Some of us could hold our own, but others couldn't, some of the females, especially. It felt like almost every night, one was raped. Males had tried to get me, but I proved a little too feisty for their tastes. Anyways. I defended these females from their assaults. Some would try and kill me in the process, but that's the thing, they tried. I only killed one of them, though. Otherwise, I let them go. For some reason, I had always hoped that they would change or something for the better..."

She trailed off, her golden orbs now tilted up to the silver moon. To the east, a green filter stretched across the blue-blackness of the night, a sign that the sun was rising. She turned to Raven again. "That's why I'm not afraid to help you, Raven. I've been through it before," she laid her head on her paws, now thinking of all of the females she left behind. She had helped them, but the guardian of their dens while they slept... She could only pray that someone had taken her place. What was being done in the pack wasn't right, and she knew it in her heart. Though the desert was vast and quiet with the early dawn, she could still hear their whimpers in her auds, see their horrified faces in her mind... Her tri-colored pelt shivered in the chill air, trying to shake off the feeling and get some rest. It wouldn't do her any good to think of them right now.

Raven's words of thanks put her at ease. "You're welcome, Raven," Angie said in a low tone, and then laid her own head down on her paws. Ever since she had met Raven, sleep had not come easy to her - she did not know if it was because of the situation itself, or something else. Regardless, tonight, of all nights that should have been sleepless or uncomfortable, she slept and dreamed of things that she... had never quite dreamed about before. When brutes chased her in her dreams they wanted to kill or rape her, but tonight, she laughed as they chased her, just out of a paw's reach. They could chase all they wanted to, but they would never get her, not even to the ends of the earth.

She awoke to the hot sun pounding the darker spots of her fur, and opened her eyes to find that it was midday. She could see that Raven was already awake, perhaps for several hours, and that Aku-Aku was still tucked in the depths of his den and Tyrone lay as motionless as the night before. It didn't look like Raven noticed that she was awake, and thus she cracked only one eye open, watching the fae in silence. There had not yet been a moment when she and the unconscious Tyrone had been alone, and now, the calm before the storm, seemed to be the perfect moment.

Angie lie there, watching Raven stand above Tyrone. It was in those instances that Angie felt like she didn't know Raven at all - she couldn't see her face or hear her thoughts, but Angie could imagine the unpleasant thoughts in her head. Then the fem turned around and headed towards her. She yawned, as if just waking up, and rolled over on her stomach. She stretched her front paws, cat-like, and gave a shake of her pelt to wake up. "Morning," she said, though the dawn had clearly already passed. Her body ached of the journey and battle from the day before, and her stomach was feeling light. The pig had provided them a snack, not a full meal. She glanced out to the bright glare of the desert, her yellow eyes watering. She wondered how far a walk it would be to reach the meat cache... But she knew she could not leave Raven alone. She looked back to the dark-hued fem. "How'd you sleep?" she asked with a slight pant. There was a meek tree sprouting near the far ledge of the plateau, offering little shade from the sweltering sun...

"Maybe we can move him over there," she said, indicating with her muzzle at the little tree near the far ledge. It was a pathetic thing, with a twisted trunk and weak little branches, but the leaves still sprouted as bright as green grass with saffron buds. It provided enough shade for the three of them, if they were to huddle close. "Aku-Aku's probably sleeping... But he said he'd be up by dusk. So I guess we just have to wait until then." She stood up, the red earth hot on her pads, and she walked over to Tyrone's comatose form. His wounds, though treated, left a rotting smell as they cooked in the sun. She nudged him once, to see if he would stir, but he slumbered still. Angie then pushed on his back. "Help me. He's too heavy to move by myself," she said, and as if on cue, her stomach rumbled again. Dammit. If they didn't get a decent meal soon, she knew that they wouldn't last very long. The water in the hole that Aku-Aku had provided for them several nights before was close to being gone, and they were dehydrated enough as it was...

Angie opened her mouth to protest; she was the stronger wolf, the one with the minor injuries, but she could see that Raven was silently insistent. She watched the dark fem disappear over the ledge to hunt for the day, and for the first time in many days, Angie was alone with her thoughts, collecting in the summer sun. She glanced at the tri-hued wolf at her side. Her father, the man she never met. She wondered why he had left the pack. Was it the same reason she had? Because of the blood, the violence, the endless war? "My mother always said you left because you were a useless son of a bitch. That you were chasing another's tail," she said aloud to him, though she knew he couldn't hear her. Or maybe he could, beneath the evil that was consuming his soul. She didn't know, but it seemed to relieve a weight in her chest. "But I guess if that was true... You and Raven would already have a litter of pups by now. I wouldn't mind. Things back home... If you could call it that... They don't change much. But it would be nice if I could have some little brothers or little sisters that didn't have to go through what we did."

She fell quiet for a moment, considering what she had said. But then she shook her head, dismissing it. "But when you wake up... I'll have to go. Because, technically speaking, you and I never met. Raven says good things about you, but... I'm not sure I'm ready to meet you yet. There's still a lot I haven't figured out," she said, and laid her head on her outstretched paws. A cicada whined in the scraggly tree above them, and there was not a cloud in the clear blue sky. The heat climbed with the height of the sun, and by noon, Angie gave in to well-needed nap after a sleepless night.

She woke to the sound of footsteps and the smell of blood. Instantly, she was on her feet, only to find that Raven had returned with a feathered meal. At the same time, Aku-Aku emerged from his den, his milky eyes hazy with sleep. "Must have felt nice in there," Angie snorted, noting that the blazing sun from the day was now beginning to set. Aku-Aku nodded. "Oh yes, much nicer than out here. It's dark, quiet, and rather cool," he replied, completely missing Angie's sarcasm. He sniffed the air, blind eyes looking in Raven's direction. "Ah, breakfast. So kind of you to hunt, Raven. All I really catch up here is mice and beetles, and the beetles I have to dig for." Angie couldn't help but smirk, seeing the three birds in Raven's mouth. It was small compared to the pig they had caught two days ago, but it was enough. "Thank you, Raven."

Aku-Aku did not immediately reply. Instead, he turned his head to the sky, the violet fabric of the night sinking down upon the soft bands of vibrant orange. Like earlier that day, there was not a cloud in sight, but Aku-Aku smiled nonetheless. It would still be a while before dusk, even though the sun was already more than halfway through its path in the sky. He inhaled the dry, hot air that rose like an exhaling breath from the desert, and then slowly nodded. "I believe there is," he said, without even turning to look at Tyrone. "But I will need your assistance. My call to the spirits alone will not be enough." He then stood from his meal and trotted to the strange lines in the sand he had drawn the previous night. He didn't have to see them to know that they were still there. He paused, looked up, and smiled a near-toothless smile at the two wolves. "Bring your friend to the center symbol here. Then, we shall dance! Aieyeyeyeyeyeyeyeyeeee!"

The fox began to jump out, surprisingly nimble for someone his age, and it was obvious that he was ready to begin. Angie paused, a brow raised at him, but decided that it was better not to question it. She came to Tyrone's side to drag him halfway up, but he was still much bigger than her. She would need Raven's help. "I guess he is kind of a crazy old man," she smirked, tail wagging at Raven. She didn't know how much faith Raven had in Aku-Aku, but Angie knew that she had to do what she could.

Angie watched as Aku-Aku bounced about with the energy of the youth, and as Raven swayed to an unheard rhythm. Angie's own paws itched to dance as well, but the still body at her feet kept her in place. If things got out of hand... Someone would have to keep guard while the so-called 'ritual' was going on. Aku-Aku continued to jump about, lifting his head to the amber sky and releasing a sound from his throat that was more coyote than fox. "Aieyeyeyeyeye! Venir la lluvia fuerte para quitar los males de este alma inocente! Liberar el mal de su jaula y le limpie con su toque decadente!"

With Aku-Aku and Raven's eyes closed, neither of them seemed to notice that in the distance, a rainstorm was clustered near the Muerta Mountains, and slowly crawling towards them. Could... Could Aku-Aku's call and Raven's dance be beckoning the storm towards them? But what would a storm do for Tyrone? A rogue wind suddenly blew across the lands, blasting through Angie's fur, and yes, it did... smell like rain. Angie shivered, the hairs of her tri-hued coat now standing on end, a charge buzzing through the air. She folded her ears back, her eardrums stinging, but more in annoyance than extreme pain. Aku-Aku did not slow his dance down, nor stop his chanting; in fact, it seemed to pick up. Angie looked down at Tyrone... He was still lying there, unconscious. What would happen if he woke up? What if he started attacking everyone? The wound on her face stung at the thought. Fighting up here would mean certain death... One of them could bleed out, fall off the side of the cliff, or get taken by the storm.

"I hope when you wake up, you're you," Angie said to the large wolf at her feet. She still wasn't sure what she was going to say to him - her blood father - but, the most she could hope for is to talk to him over fight with him. If not for her sake, then for Raven's.

The clouds grew closer with each passing minute. Soon, it was overhead, swirling and pitching, a dark and angry stormcloud. The rolling front reflected the citrine sunset and golden desert, thunder growling towards the horizon. Aku-Aku came to an abrupt halt, tilted his blind eyes at the sky, and grinned. "So the old call still works... Excellent," he murmured. The footsteps on the Earth told him that Raven was still dancing, and he said nothing, lest he interrupt the silent cleansing of her spirit. He instead walked up to Angie, who stood over Tyrone's body like a quiet guardian. "Bring him to the center, do not mind the markings. I will bind his legs together. And then, we will let the spirits do their work," he murmured, and Angie nodded, pulling on her blood-father's scruff and dragging him to the very middle of the plateau. The thunder clenched her insides as she used dried rabbit sinews to wrap all four of his paws together, preventing him from moving. She didn't know what these 'spirits' had in mind for him, but at least something would be done.

Aku-Aku raised his head to the sky again, continuing the call, but with a different dialect. Something much older, something that Angie couldn't understand. She felt something stir in her stomach and rise in her chest, and then she found her paws moving beneath her, dancing to something that she didn't have the memory to remember. She then raised her head and howled, long and strong, echoing the thunder. It was a howl that was picked up by the wind and taken into the storm...

He heard a howl, loud and clear. It was not a howl he recognized, but it felt familiar, somehow. His bones ached and his fur was caked with dried blood. He shouldn't be alive. Shouldn't still be here. But this howl... It was pulling him through. He was a small pup in a black world, but all this howl could tell him was... He was not alone. Tyrone pushed himself up and began to walk, slowly, towards what he thought was a faint light at the end of the tunnel. The realm of the living, the world that he knew. Where life was. Where Raven was, though this was not her howl. Just as he was able to feel the warmth on his face, a crashing coldness knocked him backward, spiraling him away from the light. The snarl was unmistakable.

"You shall not pass," Umbulali hissed, eyes blazing red with raging and fur standing on end. "Go home. Go die. This is my world. And your soul will feed mine."

But Tyrone stood, the sound of the unknown wolf's howl channeling through his veins; and if he strained his ears, he could even hear some kind of chanting, sounding to the beat of his heart. "No. Your soul will feed mine," he growled, and lunged for Umbulali's throat.

The large wolf lying on the ground screamed, eyes flying open, as if electrocuted. His jaws opened and his legs kicked, but remained bound within the sinews. Angie paused for a moment, turning to Aku-Aku, fearing that Tyrone was in pain. But Aku-Aku ignored her, continuing his chant, proceeding as usual. If he did not find anything wrong, then certainly... This was the way the ritual must go. It would not be easy, nor painless, but in the end, hopefully Tyrone would be the wolf to come out of it.