CHAPTER 1
The white wolf blinked, confused as she was pulled from her memories. I’m not a pup anymore, and I moved from my village moons ago, she reminded herself. I live in the Sky Pack Kingdom now. And I work here… in this mine. The wolves continued to laugh and sneer. Aurora bristled. “I can hear you,” she snapped. “And I wasn’t daydreaming, by the way. I was reminiscing. There’s a difference!” Her voice bounced through the tunnels, producing an echo. Aurora hovered high above the cavern floor. Her wings flapped to keep her airborne. They occasionally smacked against the pointy stalactites that hung from the ceiling. Aurora’s paws were streaked with mud, and her pads were cracked after many moons of continuous digging. Aurora shuddered. She glanced at the ceiling. There was no sunlight down here. No breeze, no snow, no sky. Oh, how she missed the sky. Aurora shook her head. It doesn’t matter how I feel, she thought. My work in this cave is more important than anything else. “What were you reminiscing about?” questioned a blue she-wolf. She smirked slyly. “Wait. Let me guess. It’s about Queen Tempest saving you from an avalanche. And how she told you to never give up on your dreams. And about the power of friendship.” She nearly fell over laughing. Aurora dismissively looked away. “Save me from an avalanche? Yes,” she replied. “Power of friendship and following my dreams? No. What she actually said was to stay adventurous, and that the Sky Pack needs bold wolves like me in it.” She proudly puffed out her chest. “I impressed her.” “Sure,” a cloud white wolf sarcastically replied. “We totally believe Queen Tempest, of all wolves, told you that.” He snorted. A scraggly wolf limped out one of the tunnels. His pelt was full of mud, and dust swirled around his paws whenever he moved. “If Queen Tempest is friends with Aurora,” he wheezed. “Then I’m the long lost heir to the throne!” Everyone laughed. Aurora’s pelt burned with embarrassment. “You don’t have to believe me,” she told them, frustration spilling into her voice. “It doesn’t matter what any of you think. Because I’m telling the truth!” She snarled, and bared her fangs in an attempt to silence her scornful coworkers. An elderly wolf emerged from one of the interconnecting tunnels. She stalked into the main cavern. “No fighting!” she shouted. Her shrill voice sliced through the cave like a sharp fang. “And no talking unless you have direct permission from me!” She displayed her claws. “Yes, Shiver,” everyone mumbled. They returned to their work. Some dug tunnels with their bare paws. Others used their power over the wind to blow rocks away. A few carried overflowing baskets of gems from one place to the next. Aurora’s heart thudded when she noticed Shiver glaring at her. She quickly turned to claw the ceiling. Please let me find something, she wordlessly pleaded. Please don’t let Shiver see me empty pawed! Aurora frantically dug her claws into the soil, wincing as dirt showered her face. “Aurora!” Shiver demanded. “Update me on your progress today.” Aurora felt her heart sink. She’d been so busy remembering her encounter with Queen Tempest that she forgot to actually do her job. “Um,” she cautiously responded. “I haven’t found anything yet today. But don’t forget about how many crystals I found yesterday.” “That’s not good enough,” Shiver said. “Aren’t you supposed to be the hardest worker here? What’s wrong with you?” Aurora’s ears flattened miserably. “Nothing, Ma’am. I was just distracted this morning, that’s all. It won’t happen again.” A long moment passed. “Very well,” Shiver grumbled. “Do not disappoint me, or I’ll fire you. Who’ll look after Queen Tempest then, eh?” Shiver’s lips curled into a mocking smile. She stalked down another tunnel, then immediately began to yell at some other wolf. Aurora sighed. Shiver is right, she thought. Queen Tempest is counting on me. She lifted her chin. I owe her my entire commitment—along with some White Elemental Heart. After pushing aside her distracting thoughts, Aurora began to dig. She kept her eyes sharp for the priceless crystals. Elemental Heart was the power source of every wolf in Elementa. It granted them extraordinary elemental magic, along with intelligence far superior to that of an average wolf. Whenever Aurora came into contact with a shard of White Elemental Heart, she felt her power rapidly increase in strength. The outsiders also had Elemental Heart crystals. Red Elemental Heart for the Fire Pack. Blue Elemental Heart for the Water Pack. And Brown Elemental Heart for the Earth Pack. Aurora’s claws suddenly scraped something smooth. A familiar jolt of power rushed through her veins. It encouraged her to dig faster. Before long, half of a glowing crystal was unearthed. Pleased, Aurora clamped her teeth around the gem, and pulled. It wouldn’t budge. “Huh,” Aurora huffed. “That’s odd.” She tried again, this time with more strength, but to no prevail. It was lodged in. Aurora dug around the white crystal. It’s definitely bigger than it appears, she realized. What a find! This will please Queen Tempest for sure! Aurora couldn’t help but smile. She started to dig with much more enthusiasm. Aurora wasn’t sure how much time passed before Shiver appeared again. “Closing time!” she howled. “You’re all free to go home, or whatever. I don’t really care.” At Shiver’s words, everyone eagerly rushed to the exit, yapping excitedly. Shiver began to follow, then paused when dirt landed near her scuffed paws. “Sorry about that,” Aurora said, without removing her gaze from her work. Shiver’s thin tail impatiently waved back and forth. “You comin’ or what?” she barked. “Not yet,” Aurora responded. “I think I’ve found a large piece of White Elemental Heart. I’ve almost dug it out. I just need more time.” Shiver shrugged. “Whatever. Just don’t get crushed by a boulder or something.” She suddenly closed her eyes. Using her power, the air dropped rapidly in temperature. The fire from the torches was instantly put out. The cavern was now darker than dark. More frigid than freezing. Aurora had to blink her green eyes a few times to adjust. Without another word, Shiver fled the mineshaft, leaving Aurora alone in the freezing darkness. It wasn’t all bad. In the darkness, the crystal appeared to glow brighter. Its light flickered over Aurora’s fur as she continued to dig. Finally, she managed to free the crystal from the hold of the cavern. It was awkward to fly while holding the weight of the crystal in her paws, but she continued on nevertheless. Queen Tempest is going to love this, she thought proudly. This is the biggest crystal I’ve found so far! Aurora glided out the tunnel, then flew into the starry sky. A full moon hung in the inky expanse, causing the Sky Pack Kingdom to glow in its silver light. Wolves were everywhere Aurora looked. They wrestled playfully in the snow, walked from one den to the next, or flew in the cloudless sky. Music and cheerful howling filled the air. The Sky Pack Kingdom was truly beautiful. However, nothing was more beautiful than Queen Tempest’s castle. The fortress was nestled between two nearby mountain peaks, allowing it to overlook the entire Sky Pack Kingdom. The castle stretched high into the sky, catching the frosty moonlight on its stone pillars and granite balconies. Guards marched or glided from one place to the next, their silver armour shining magnificently. Aurora flew to the castle, holding the elemental crystal firmly between her paws. She landed a respectful distance from the guards, deciding to walk the rest of the way to appear less intrusive. She heaved the massive crystal onto her back, then trudged up the snowy incline. “Did you see those Earth Wolves flee when we raided their village the other day?” one guard sneered to her friend. He nodded eagerly. Tiny lightning bolts rapidly travelled through his silver fur. “Sure did. They scattered like cockroaches. Heh.” The guard froze when he spotted Aurora. “You there!” he barked. “State your business!” His companion cuffed him on the ear with her paw. “Don’t you recognize her?” she said from the corner of her mouth. “It’s that weirdo who’s obsessed with Queen Tempest. She comes here, like, every day to give gifts. It’s bizarre!” Aurora ignored the rude remark. “Hello,” she respectfully greeted. “I’ve come to deliver this for the queen. I work in the royal mines. Queen Tempest has directed us to search for White Elemental Heart crystals for her collection.” “Yeah, yeah, we already know,” the she-wolf snapped. “Don’t worry. We’ll deliver it to Queen Tempest for you. Give it.” “But,” Aurora protested. The guard snatched the crystal. “Hey! I think I—” “No visitors,” the wolf with lightning powers insisted. Without waiting for a response, the duo turned tail and padded away, taking Aurora’s crystal with them. “Tell Queen Tempest that Aurora sent that!” she called after them. “I’m her most loyal citizen! She knows me!” The guards didn’t respond. Aurora’s tail drooped. Oh well, she thought glumly. At least Queen Tempest will be pleased. Surely she recognizes my hard work over the years… right? Aurora fiercely
