It was amazing how long Thirty-Four kept running. With every bound, he kept expecting his limbs to finally give out and slow his pace to nothing. Yet still his muscles prevailed.

They had crossed into more familiar forests by the time exhaustion finally began to lace its way up his paws, and he slowed, dropping to a walk before his legs began to feel like lead. From Fiammetta's back, Lexi shot him a triumphant glance as the Flamewylf's swift gallop sent her speeding ahead. The race was lost. Not that he cared.

Astounded, he stared down at his paws. He felt invincible. Big.

And black.

Wincing, he jolted his eyes upwards, focusing on Fiammetta's glimmering bronze fur as he walked onwards. It didn't do him any good to think like that. Or even think at all. He'd promised himself that all would be fine, and he was still himself, and Lexi would know what to do.

When he'd first run alone in the forest, right after the ceremony, that had been the hope he'd clung onto. Lexi could solve it. Because she could solve anything.

But maybe this was one thing he'd have to solve on his own.

Even the Twilytra, wise as they seemed, didn't know how to deal with him. For all Fiammetta's pretend trust, he could see the suspicion that still lingered in her gaze with every time she looked at him. She was slowing now, to keep a watch on him most likely. And there had been a fear in Angel's twitching wings. Though her feelings were sensible - he had attacked her.

He scraped his claws fiercly through the dirt, making Fiammetta's head shoot up suddenly. Pressing his fangs together, he stared down at the earth, focusing his anger into a harmless glare instead.

Before, he'd been angry at his parents. Now he was beginning to think they had been right. Instead, his anger was focused on the gods, for bestowing upon him such an awful gift.

No. Not awful. Good. As long as he clung onto that invincible feeling, everything would be fine.

And maybe if Lexi could figure out a solution.

"We're here, Thirty-Four," Fiammetta announced, raising his eyes to rest on the clearing he'd slept in the previous night. He looked around, searching for the other wolves who had been here last night. Where was everyone?

Opening his jaw, he made to voice his question, but found his words abruptly cut off by something slamming into his back and sending him stumbling forwards. Claws stung the back of his neck. Twisting frantically, he batted at the attacker. A shrill yelp met his swipe.

As he turned fully, he saw pink fur, and his eyes widened in shock. A Glitterwylf, fighting with the ferocity of a Flamewylf.

As she struck hard at his snout, he ducked and pushed at her chest automatically. The shove carried them both to the ground, him standing atop her, still feeling rather baffled.

"Stop!" called Fiammetta's voice. "Thea, that's Thirty-Four!"

The pink wolf stared at him in shock. "Oh," she said carefully, clear fear flattening her ears. "Are you sure?" Her claws stopped moving, but she continued to squirm in his grip.

"Yes." There wasn't an overwhelming confidence in Fiammetta's tone, but it was enough to convince Thea, at least for the time being. Thirty-Four pulled away, and she shot to her paws, ducking her head apologetically.

"Sorry," she said. "Though you did hit me too."

He stepped backwards, already feeling the black-tainted thoughts looming as he recalled how quick his reflexes had carried him to strike her down. "No, I'm sorry," he murmured, watching as Thea gave Fiammetta a questioning look.

"Angel sent a message ahead with Dawn - though I guess she hasn't told you yet," the Flamewylf said with a sigh. "Well, apologies for the shock, but there's been a slightly strange turn of events. Our saviour pup is a Shadewylf."

Twisting her tail, Thea shot Thirty-Four a half-hearted smile. "It's a pretty black," she said eventually. The words sounded surprisingly meaningful. Then, with a nod, she turned and scampered into the trees.

He and Fiammetta followed her more slowly. In an attempt to distract himself yet again, Thirty-Four looked up at Lexi, hoping to find some solace with her. The tremble in her chest as she locked her claws into the bronze fur, the wound in her side still steadily trickling, provided none.

His gaze traced the forest. It still seemed fairly light, despite the sinking sun above. Peering into its depths, he could feel an itch in his paws, begging him to follow those shadows.

Running away.

With every moment, the option seemed more and more sensible. He'd considered it often, even before his terrifying Pelt. But now, with the power he felt coursing beneath his new black fur, it went from a possibility to an inviting ideal.

Shadewylves were evil. He'd been taught that since birth. In every story that had featured them, they were always cruel monsters and bloodthirsty villains. Now he was one of them. It only seemed right for a monster to live alone, away from anyone he could hurt.

With a sigh, he glanced at Lexi again, and his heart twinged. There was one thing worth staying for. But even she was in danger, if his instincts remained so quick to fight.

I'll stay until she's healed, he told himself, eyes fixed on her wound. As soon as I know she's ok, I'll leave forever.

The Twilytra would simply have to find another wolf to fulfil this miraculous destiny. If he'd been uncertain before, he was sure now that this couldn't be his calling. A Shadewylf couldn't be a hero.

They suddenly halted, snapping him out of his thoughts. Gaze still resting on Lexi, he watched her be slowly lowered down, with Thea's help, and laid on the earth beside another wolf's body. Curiously, he edged over, peering at the wolf, and immediately wished he hadn't.

A jagged scar was carved through her mud-coloured fur, creating a line of angry skin snaking right across her side and chest. Her torso was littered with countless other scratches, some old and fading, but many only recently sealed. Holding his breath, Thirty-Four crouched lower to observe her unmoving head. Another reddened scar narrowly missed her left eye and curved down her snout.

As he rose again, he noticed Thea had followed his gaze. Her eyes shone with concern for the fallen wolf. "What happened to her?" he asked cautiously, his voice subconciously dropping to a whisper.

"She was attacked by Shadewylves," Fiammetta supplied. "Wolves like you." A glare briefly flashed through her expression, but it softened as she turned away from him and circled the Earthwylf's ear with a claw. "Thea's doing all she can, but we fear she might not wake up."

The Glitterwylf's head shook vigorously. "Don't say that," she protested. "I'll heal her. I promise."

Uncertainty only wavered in her last word, but it was enough.

They both turned away from the Earthwylf at once, shaking out their fur. Thirty-Four stepped away, muttering a silent prayer that she would get better.

He moved over to Lexi, searching the area for any sign of healing equipment. But there was nothing. No ointments or leaf bandages. Only a pale Thunderwylf he recognised from last night, pencil in mouth, scribbling something on a piece of parchment.

Opening his jaw, he made to ask, but the answer came before he could request it. Thea slid her paw across Lexi's back, before coming to rest gently on the wound, and stared hard. Concentration tensed her shoulders. Wide-eyed, Thirty-Four watched as the blood stopped leaking, and the skin gradually began knitting itself together. Healing of its own accord. In less than a minute, the only evidence of Lexi's enocounter with Deimos was the leftover traces of red amongst her golden fur.

Gaping, Lexi rose, staring at Thea in amazement. "Did you just..."

With a nod, the Glitterwylf slumped down. "Yes. It's a sort of special skill." Delight glimmered in her eyes, dulled by a weariness Thirty-Four hadn't noticed before. Yet after only a moment of respite, she moved her paw over to rest on the Earthwylf. "And it will bring Katana back." She held a fierce confidence he hadn't heard in a wolf of her Pelt before.

Lexi stepped to stand beside him, resting her newly-healed flank against his. She dipped her head. "I'm sorry. You shouldn't have used your energy healing me," she said to Thea. "She needs it far more than I do."

But Thea's eyes twinkled as she smiled. "I have enough magic to go around." Thirty-Four was sure the statement wasn't true, but it felt nice all the same. He couldn't help feeling happy that she had chosen to heal Lexi.

At that moment, Angel and Morgan emerged from the trees, the former with her wings lifted slightly as she glanced around. "Is Dawn not here?" she asked.

"No," Thea replied, her paw pausing just above Katana's deepest scar. "She went to speak with Bhavisha." The final word was accompanied by a proud smile, before she lowered her paw and squeezed her eyes shut.

Fiammetta sighed, sitting down. At Thirty-Four's slightly lost expression, she muttered, "Now we wait," before stretching her forepaws out and settling her chin in between them. With a shrug, Lexi edged into one of the few remaining patches of sunlight. Her gold fur seemed to reflect the colourful sunset.

Thirty-Four sat in the shade beside her, but kept his back straightened, unease pricking at his paw pads. His gaze fell on her shining flank. Completely healed. If he were to stick to his previous rule, he should be slipping away into the forest now and leaving them all behind, yet part of him couldn't bring himself to do that. Not yet. Maybe he'd see what Dawn said, and base his decision on that.

He looked at Lexi again. She met his eyes, then twisted her head, most likely already setting to work on his secret. It suddenly came to him how stupid this was. Hiding things from her never worked.

He had to tell her how he felt. Properly.

But before he could even open his snout, she asked, "Are you alright about this?"

Honestly, he answered, "Not really, no." He made to elaborate, but her questions weren't over.

"Do you trust the Twilytra?"

"Yes," he said, again truthful. "But I'm not sure they trust me," he slipped in quickly before she could continue.

Her eyes were narrowed. "That's true. But they definitely trust you more than anyone back at town would."

He bowed his head. "Yeah." When she paused, thinking, he snapped back up and added, "Hey, Lexi, there's something-"

"So it's best we stay with them," she continued, seemingly not hearing his words. "At least for the time being, until we can figure out a long term solution. Perhaps they can give us some hints on how to make them trust you."

"But what about my destiny?" The question escaped before he could stop it. He cringed at the words, hoping Lexi would voice what he was thinking.

"You really believe in that?" she retaliated. That hadn't been his expected answer. He automatically made to object, but she beat him to it. "I know, I said I believed it last night, but I was tired and I probably would have believed anything. I thought it was the same for you." She flicked her tail, slight irritation in the gesture. "Look, they got their information from a rogue Mystwylf, who is probably insane and is hearing a random voice in her head she thinks is Bhavisha. Or maybe she just wants to create a prophecy or something just to gain a following. I've heard of that happening in the past."

Relief settled on his shoulders. It wasn't even real. He was worrying about fulfilling a destiny that was probably fake. It made running away feel both more and less inviting simultaneously.

"So Thirty-Four, just..." Her voice trailed away as her eyes widened. "Thirty-Four." At his confused head tilt, she stood up, raising her voice for the whole company to hear. "For Luna's sake, your name!"

Every eye in the clearing snapped towards him. His heart sped up. Slowly, he rose alongside Lexi, his paw shaking as he looked downwards.

In all that had happened, the idea hadn't even crossed his mind. Now it was all he could think about. Finally, after nearly eighteen moons of being referred to as a meaningless number, he was getting a name.

It seemed to take forever for his paw to tilt sideways and reveal the destined silver markings, the ones every wolf with a Pelt wore. The very air seemed to crackle with their collective apprehension. Finally, his gaze fell on them. Five glittering letters, sealing his fate into one simple word.

"Toivo."

It was strange how natural the name felt as it slid off his tongue, like he'd been speaking it his whole life. Setting his paw down carefully, he glanced over at Lexi, and saw her matching excitement.

"My name is Toivo," he proclaimed again, feeling the urge to repeat it.

Her eyes shone. "It's beautiful."

They stared at each other for several moments, encaptured in such a momentous occasion. After all the waiting, it had arrived. And it was more perfect than he ever could have imagined.

It was only when he heard a voice did he break Lexi's gaze and sweep his gaze across the clearing. As soon as he saw the speaker, his smile fell into frozen shock.

"It certainly is."

The space beneath Thea's healing paws was vacant. In its place was an Earthwylf, her snout jutting upwards, allowing the last fading rays of sunlight to illuminate the scar that snaked across her face. Her eyes were lit brightly with a fierce glare. Her brown tail was rigidly upright and her ears pulled back, aggression twitching them dangerously. She took a threatening step forward. The reddened scars only seemed to heighten the terror that sizzled through Toivo's veins as he realised the direction of her ferocious gaze.

She was staring right at him.