The weather was being annoyingly odd.

The wind's whistle was loud and uncomfortable, its shrill hiss forcing my ears to flatten against the side of my head. Cold sliced through my fur with ease. I braced myself against a particularly strong gust that sent my paws sliding backwards, threatening to topple me from the rocks I clung to.

Taking a deep breath, the air a fine mist, I latched my claws into a ridge in the stone and yanked upwards. A faint whimpering growl vibrated in my throat at the strain, and I was suddenly glad I'd decided to journey here alone. This was hardly graceful.

Finally, with another heave, I collapsed onto the ledge above, my sides heaving. Nearly there now, Pup.

I allowed myself a few moments of respite before rising to my paws again. The mountain jutted high above me, cutting deep into the tufts of grey cloud beginning to populate the skies. Thank the moon I didn't have to climb right to the top. That may well have killed me.

Turning, I surveyed the view below. My heart pounded faster at the steep drop below me, but I dug my claws into the rock, reminding the part of me that wanted to freeze here that I wouldn't let myself fall.

Besides, even if I did, something would catch me. Dozens of birds, dragons and flying wolves - the latter mostly of my making - roamed these skies.

Yet things were a little more disconcerting today. The wind still whipped through my fur, destroying the futile attempt I had made this morning to groom it.

This weather wasn't normal. I could have put it down to the altitude, but I'd long since given up trying to think of logical explanations for this new biting cold. After all, it was why I'd climbed up here in the first place.

I lived in a place called Dreamland. True to its name, everything was fairly close to ideal: no evil, no fighting... and only the weather we wished for. Certainly none of us wanted this awful wind.

Something was wrong, and I needed to fix it.

I gave the view one last glance, taking in all the buildings and trees cowering against the gales, before shifting sideways. The upward part of my journey was over. Now, all I had to do was creep along this ledge; a task easier said than done.

My paw pads slid on patches of damp stone, still slick from the downpour we'd suffered the previous night. That had been the last straw for me. I could cope with the greying skies, but soaking fur was a whole other matter.

Eventually, after several minutes of gritting my teeth and trying not to fall off, the ledge widened and curved into an opening, revealing a gaping hole in the side of the mountain. Ducking my head, I slipped inside, grateful for the protection it allowed from the unforgiving wind.

Flickering lanterns hanging above illuminated the cave's entrance in pools of yellow light. But their light didn't stretch much further than that, leaving the back of the cave in darkness.

From within the shadows, faint breathing pricked up my ears.

Shaking out my fur as best I could, I raised my head, trying desperately not to look scared. The beast within this cave was no-one to fear.

"Cross?" I called, aware of how my voice echoed weakly. "It's me. Pup."

For a second, there was silence. And then the darkness stirred. Blue scales glittered in the lamplight, a thousand jewels all moving as one.

I couldn't help but bow respectfully as Cross's head became visible, her spikes glinting but her eyes soft. They usually were, thankfully. It was only when someone got on her bad side that her dragon harshness emerged.

In honesty, I had seen it directed at me before. But we usually got on, which was fortunate because I was only a feeble wolf pup. Having a dragon at my back - and not just any dragon, but the ruler of this land of dreams - tended to push things in my favour.

"The weather's getting worse," I told her before she could even greet me. The words tumbled from my jaw, driven by a fearful uncertainty. "We can't ignore it anymore. Something must be wrong."

Cross nodded slowly. Her scales shifted with unease. "It's as I feared," she said, looking past me and to the grey blanket coating the sky. It smothered the usual shining blue. "The Nightmare Clouds are gathering."

"Nightmare Clouds?" I was sure I'd heard the name before, but I couldn't place where. They certainly didn't sound pleasant. We worked with dreams here, not nightmares.

"They destroy dreams," Cross explained. "They take away the will to reach for our dreams, or to work to achieve the things we want." She flicked her spined tail towards the cave's opening, where the towns sprawled below. "If they keep coming, they will turn Dreamland to ruins, and leave it a place of nightmares."

I shuddered. Pelting rain was bad enough. "How can we stop them?"

Cross paused, gazing off into the sky, deep in thought. "We need to fetch the Dreamstone," she said eventually. "Only that has the power to chase the clouds away."

"Where is it?"

"I don't know." She met my eyes. "But you can find it, Pup. You're one of few that can."

I frowned. Surely if anyone wanted to find something around here, Cross was the best one to do so. After all, she controlled everything here, more or less, and her huge wings allowed her easy transport. Besides, my finding skills were... well, rather lacking.

She must have sensed my confusion, because she answered before I could voice my thoughts. "It's guarded by wolves, Pup, deep in the Sleepy Forest." She smirked at my delighted expression. "I thought you'd be pleased."

"Well, wolves are the best protectors," I said with a grin.

Finally, my species was paying off. Usually my fur and small size resulted in ridicule. Not that I minded the pats, of course, but they always seemed to forget what mighty creatures wolves are.

"I'll be back with the Dreamstone, Cross," I promised as I backed out of the cave. "I won't let you down."

I was just reaching the ledge, preparing for another scrambling climb - though at least this one would be downhill - when Cross appeared beside me. Her wings were half spread. "Want a lift down?"

I smothered my celebratory cheer. Dragon rides never stopped being fun. Far more fun than edging my way down a mountainside, anyway. "Sure."

In one leap, I was perched in a spot just in front of her wings, my claws finding a ridge in her scales to cling onto. I felt her tense, and then we were soaring away from the cave.

Of course, I hadn't accounted for the increased wind. Instead of sitting upright and letting the breeze rush through my fur, I was forced to flatten myself against her to avoid being blown away. But it only decreased the thrill slightly. The view of the ground zooming closer and the feel of flying, free in the air, was still incredible.

Cross swerved in the air, banking over the closest town, before touching down lightly at the foot of the mountain. I slid off her back, my fur ruffled beyond easy taming. I shook the tufts out of it as much as I could.

A quick goodbye, and the dragon was gone, soaring out over Dreamland to fulfil today's tasks. But I had my own mission now. Nodding to the glinting blue of her disappearing form, I dashed back towards the mountain, sliding inside a cave of my own.

This was what I called my Wolf Cave, and it was lit in a similar way to the dragon one further up - lanterns flickering with amber flame. Except I had a lot more, because dark wasn't exactly my favourite light level. A bed of soft leaves was tucked in the corner, and several shelves were carved out of the stone, filled with notes and drawings and a whole lot of books.

But I couldn't stay long. Dashing to the base of one of the shelves, I fumbled for my travelling bag. Once I had its leather strap in my teeth, I slung it over my head, the action once difficult but now second nature after so much practice. Once shake moved it so it hung over my chest, and then I was leaving my cave again, heading out into the town.

The place closest to the mountain was what we called BC Town, and it was the general hub of Dreamland, both the largest and oldest region. It was packed with Dreamer residents, each with their own house decorated just to their liking. I passed a bench where two humans were sitting, a book in their hands, their chatter filled with friendly advice.

The atmosphere here always made me smile. Everyone got on so well. Then I reminded myself that all of that could be ruined by the Nightmare Clouds, and sped up my stride.

At the outskirts of BC Town was the Sprint Sector, a stretching racecourse buzzing with activity. This was where the fun stopped, and productivity took over. But, of course, people worked together, racing against each other to see who could be the most productive. I loved to race here, even though distraction often prevented my victory, but today I forced myself to give the racers only a cheery wave of my paw.

Next came three more, smaller towns, arranged in a semi-circle before me. To my left was Rush Base, a place for those who helped each other in a speedy fashion and the area I had started out here. In front was Exchange Square, the newest town around here but growing at a rapid pace. And finally to the right was the Workshop - smaller than the others but with members far more dedicated than the rest of us.

The forest Cross had spoken of was clustered in the east. I glanced over Rush Base and saw the sun rising steadily above. Even with my lacking sense of direction, I knew how to find east.

While I loved the Rushers, it was always a risk walking through their town. They could be a rather wild bunch. But I needed to get to the forest, and so I kept my head down and dashed through, eyes darting about warily.

Mostly though, things remained quiet, and I only passed the calmer Rush residents. I could see the trees rising above the houses, growing closer. I was about to slip along the path and dart away from town when a cry made my whole body jolt.

"Join Rush!"

I staggered backwards as a group of creatures, most human but some not, marched into the street. Their hooded cloaks billowed out in the rough wind, as if they were dragging slices of shadow behind them. Their faces were darkened, hard to make out, and some part of me was scared.

But these people were nothing to fear. After all, I'd patrolled the streets beside them with a wolf-made cloak of my own. We just wanted to grow Rush as much was physically possible, even if that did involve forming ourselves into a cult of sorts.

"Already done so," I said with an amused smile.

"Oh, it's you." Their leader lowered her staff - because yes, the Rush Cult had dreamed of magic staffs and received them. "Hi, Pup!"

Several others greeted me from beneath their hoods. I waved back.

"How's today's recruiting going?" I asked, because despite my hurry I felt the need to check in with my beloved Rush friends.

"Good. Two from BC accepted the pamphlets. We're managing to convert some over there."

I cheered silently. BC was great and all, but it always felt nice to claim a few of their plentiful members. "Good luck," I said, turning away. "I'd join you, but I've got some Admin business to attend to."

Thankfully, they didn't insist I stayed, and so I was able to part from the cult and exit town.

As soon as my paws touched soft earth, I let out a sigh of contentment. Even buffeted by the gales, the trees stood tall and strong, their leaves flapping wildly as if they were waving a greeting. The forest's scents filled my nose, and I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the calm encapsulate me.

As much as I loved my little Wolf Cave, the forest was my true home, and I came here as often as I could. After all, the wolves I created roamed this area. They followed after my soul.

But today, I wasn't here to enjoy myself. I noticed the way the branches creaked in the wind, unused to this weather. Even my forest was suffering the wrath of the Nightmare Clouds.

With a sigh, I journeyed on, padding across fallen leaves torn down by the storm. I focused on my nose, opening it up to all the scents around, searching for a particular one. The scent of wolf.

And not just any wolf. There was one who was sure to know something about the Dreamstone.

After only a few minutes of trekking deep into the forest, I caught his scent. So familiar to me, with the same comfortable nature of every wolf, yet his scent was different to the others I sensed here. It held a sharpness. A distinct sting of reality that most of Dreamland lacked.

The trail was faint, but clear enough to follow. Slowing my pace, I sank into a crouch and tracked it. Damp grass marked wet stripes in my fur, and the mud at my paws occasionally dipped, but I managed not to stumble over, moving as lightly as I could. The scent grew stronger, until I spotted a few pawprints marked in the mud, a little larger than my own.

My stalk became a steady run. I was close.

Eventually, I swerved around a grove of trees and skidded to a halt. My claws were caked in mud. I tried to flick it away as my eyes darted about the forest, searching for the owner of the scent that marked this area.

A flash of red-brown flickered through the tree trunks, there and then gone. Stepping forward, I kept my head partially ducked, careful not to appear threatening.

"Razik?" I called.

The red smudge appeared again. Then a wolf, at least a head taller than me, was slipping out of the shadows, letting the light speckle his fox-like coat.

His eyes lit up at the sight of me. "Pup." Bending his head - a gesture that didn't decrease the way he towered over me - he gave a slight bow, which I returned. We both straightened.

"What brings you out here, Pup?" he asked. He took a step back, the flick of his tail suggesting I join him. I let my own drop a little, signalling that I couldn't.

"I'm sure you've noticed the odd weather?" I began. He nodded. "Well, it turns out that it's the work of Nightmare Clouds. If we let them carry on, things will get even worse."

Razik glanced up at the sky. "I have heard of such beasts. You're right, they will have disastrous effects if they stay. But they can be stopped--"

"With the Dreamstone," I finished before he could. "Yes, that's what I came about. Cross says that the wolves guard it. I thought you or your mate might know something."

There was a pause as Razik's gaze traced the canopy. Eventually, he nodded slowly. "It has been guarded by us for as long as we can remember. Not even the other wolves - the ones you create - know of its whereabouts."

"You can trust me, though," I started, afraid he would decide to dismiss me. He only chuckled.

"Of course I trust you, Pup. It is necessary you retrieve it."

For a moment, Razik closed his eyes. I thought he was only thinking, but then they remained closed, his snout twitching unnaturally. Stepping towards him, I made to speak his name again, but before I could his eyes were open once more.

"I was notifying my mate," he explained. His tail flicked again. "Come, let us go."

But before either of us could go anywhere, a loud boom snatched our attention.

The sky darkened. Lightning flashed, and with that came another resounding boom. A crack of thunder.

"They're here," Razik breathed, confirming my assumption. Not that the clarity made things any better.

"How do you even fight a cloud?" My voice dropped automatically, which probably wasn't a great plan seeing as the world had just gotten a whole lot louder. Luckily, Razik's ears were even keener than mine.

"With difficulty." He was bracing himself, crouching in readiness, and so I did the same. "Any magic you have, send it upwards with as much force as you can. That might disperse them."

Being a special wolf, even if I did say so myself, I did have some magic. But it wasn't particularly powerful. I mostly used it for practical jokes.

Still, I reached for it, turning my eyes to the clouds as I prepared to push it out. Just in time to see a lightning strike form directly above me.

I barely managed to roll to the side. Electricity crackled across my fur, making me wince as I felt the sharp pain of the static. But I'd escaped the full force of the shock, and though my paws shook, I was able to get to my paws.

For how long though, I couldn't be sure.

The rain was starting now; falling even harder than last night, heavy droplets stinging my back as they pelted down, unforgiving. Ducking my head, I backed away as a second fork of lightning struck a tree not far from where we stood. The tree burst into flames, an amber blaze licking the sky.

I tried to reach for my magic again, but no sooner had I managed to grasp it, I felt something curl around my tail and yank it backwards. I staggered, collapsing against a nearby tree, just in time to see another strike meet the ground in the exact place I'd been standing.

This was impossible.

Turning, I saw that my rescuer had been Razik. He stood above me, doing his best to use his own power to ward the lightning away from us. Rain still sliced the sky, soaking through my fur and stinging the skin below. Blinking away droplets, I focused my magic again, but this time using it to defend as Razik was. I realised now that if I tried to fire it upwards, the clouds would only fire back.

The two of us exchanged fearful glances. His power was even weaker than mine. We didn't stand a chance.

But I shook my head, pushing to my paws. "If we run, we might make it."

"No," Razik said with a sigh. "They'll only follow us. The best we can do is hold out and hope they'll give up."

I didn't think they'd be giving up any time soon, but I didn't have the heart to say so.

Stepping forward, I decided to try one last time. I put as much energy into my protection dome as possible, then at the last second pulled it inwards and sent it shooting up. This time, I managed to release it without retaliation.

My heart filled with hope... and then sank again.

A bolt of lightning struck my magic beam before it could reach the cloud. Within moments, the magic disintegrated, and I leapt aside as sparks rained down.

Pants shook my chest. The usage had taken a large chunk of my energy and achieved nothing. This really was impossible.

Just as I was deciding to chance it and run anyway, a streak of green shot across the sky, impaling the cloud and spreading within. My eyes widened. I recognised this magic's feel.

Several more, of varying shades of green, followed it. Some were fizzled away by lightning, but the cloud couldn't keep them all away. I saw holes begin to open up in the cloud. Thunder boomed, as if it were roaring in pain.

From the trees, a group of dark figures emerged, cloaked and hooded. The staffs they wielded were the source of the magic.

The Rush Cult had come to save us.

Their leader paused her attack for a moment to glance over at me. "You okay, Pup?"

"Good enough," I called across to them. "Thank you so much!"

"No problem." She flicked her staff towards the tree covering behind us. "Run, we'll hold the cloud off."

With that, she held the staff up again and fired another bright green streak upward.

Unwilling to stay any longer, I gave Razik a brief nod and took off into the forest. His steps thudded behind me as he followed. The crack of thunder and magic echoed in my ears, but that only spurred me to run faster, away from the true weather of nightmares.

The Rush Cult could handle it. They seemed to have taken the cloud by surprise - if such a thing was possible - and their collective dream-made magic was strong enough to hold one off.

But that had only been one cloud that darkened the sky. There was no way the cult could defend Dreamland from more. I saw now how important finding this Dreamstone was.

It was several minutes before I realised that I had no clue where I was going. My paws slowed, then stopped altogether as I fell into a sitting position. My whole flank ached from where the lightning had hit me. Razik skidded to a halt beside me, his eyes scanning the sky, most likely searching for signs of any more clouds.

After we'd both caught our breath, he turned to me. "By some miracle, we ran in vaguely the right direction." He chuckled. "The stone is only about a mile from here. It's well hidden, but I know its guardians well enough to find it."

"Then let's go." I leapt up, ignoring the slight trembling in my side. Surely it would subside as we travelled. Yet Razik still eyed me with concern.

"Are you sure you're up for this?" he asked.

I smiled grimly. "I'm fine, really. Besides, I don't have much choice." I flicked my tail behind us, my thoughts firmly on the might of the cloud.

Thankfully, he didn't question me again. We set off together at a steadier pace, this time with him taking the lead whilst I trailed behind. The ache had spread into my right forepaw, I noticed, but I didn't let it slow me down.

The trees grew denser, which provided a welcome relief from the rain still pattering above us. Though its initial ferocity had faded, most likely due to the dispersing of the cloud we'd encountered, there was still power behind the droplets. Desperate to regain some element of dryness, I paused to shake out my fur, showering the surrounding grass with water, which at least decreased the weight that dragged me down. But I couldn't remove the chill beneath my fur's protection as dampness remained.

I ducked under wide branches as much as I could to avoid the rain. Up ahead, Razik still strode, seemingly unbothered by the weather. I guessed that, since he lived out here all the time, he had already suffered some of the clouds' storms and grown used to them, though I was sure inside he hated this as much as I did.

The minutes dragged by as we trudged on. The mud was thicker here, too, but by this point I was beyond caring about the dirtiness of my paws.

Eventually, Razik twisted his head back and called, "Almost there!"

I breathed a sigh of relief. Thank the moon. I gazed around at the drenched forest, still the same set of brown and green as always, trying to remember why I loved all this so much.

But something wasn't quite the same, and it made me stumble.

A beast was emerging from the darker parts of the woods. Its breathing rasped, constantly hissing and growling. As its dark figure passed from the shadows into the glinting light of the sun still fighting through the grey clouds above, I was able to observe it fully.

It was wolf-like, of sorts, but not the sort of comforting wolves I knew. Its fur was a deep brown, almost black but not quite, with patches of what appeared to be moss spreading across its flank. Claws the size of my fangs curved from its huge paws, ripping awkwardly through the long grass. But what shocked me most was its wings - as dark as its fur, strangely bat-like, but with large gashes tearing through the sides to render them unusable.

I could love a wolf of any shape or size. But this wolf, with its savage snarls and talons for claws, was no wolf I knew. It was a beast, and a nightmare beast at that.

I really, really hated those clouds.

Backing away, I gave it one last chance to redeem itself. "Hey, wolfie." My voice shook more than I'd have liked. "My name is Pup. I'm a--"

The beast clearly didn't care much for wolfie. It pounced.

Diving out of the way, I narrowly avoided being sliced in half by its flailing claws. My side's ache doubled as I collided with the earth, but I didn't let myself even consider lying there. Before the beast could recover, I was leaping to my paws and racing away.

My only hope was that its shredded wings would be caught by the wind and slow it down. Or maybe its claws would catch on a rock and it would tumble over. Whatever the case, I wasn't taking any chances, and so I didn't stop running.

"Razik!" I yelled as I approached my companion. One glance back, and he was running too.

The wind snatched away his shouted reply, but I assumed it was something like, "Follow me!" which I did regardless.

I didn't look back as he curved off to the right, slipping into an even denser grove of trees. In the second before I plummeted through, I realised that they were arranged in a circle, the branches coiling around each other as if the trees were supporting each other.

The sound of twigs snapping accompanied my thud at the other side of the treeline as I landed. "What... was that thing?" I asked Razik, just about able to snatch enough breath to release the words.

"A creation of the Nightmare Clouds." Razik wasn't as out of breath as me, but his words still shook as he panted. "It twists dreams into nightmares."

Suddenly, its wings and wolf-like appearance made sense. I took a few gulps of air before sitting up and adding to his statement. "So that was a cloud interpretation of my winged wolves." I gritted my fangs, irritated that my precious creations had been tainted in such a way.

"Don't worry," Razik assured me. "They'll revert back once you cast the stone's spell. Speaking of," he added, gesturing around him, "we have just entered the Dreamstone's keep."

For the first time, I properly examined the space. It was small, with barely enough space for the two of us to stand. The trees truly did interlock around us, branches twining around each other so that it was hard to distinguish one plant from the next. With a gasp, I noticed that the trees were actually moving; their limbs shifting and spreading right in front of my eyes. The hole we'd created as we leaped in had already been sealed.

This was a moving cage, designed to keep away prying eyes. From the outside, I wouldn't have cast it a second glance. But from in here I saw its true magical beauty.

"It will let us out, right?" I asked, though I wasn't afraid. I didn't feel necessarily trapped in here. Just enclosed in a ring of safety.

Razik nodded. "But first, we get the stone." He turned my attention to the single tree stretching up at the centre, with its branches spreading out to form a roof to the cage. A trio of knots jutted from the trunk, about level with my snout as I rose.

Reaching out a claw, Razik gestured towards the highest knot, his jaw opening, but then he jerked away. He muttered a rather strong wolf curse. I glared at him for that, but he was too busy looking worried to notice.

"I forgot that there were three," he murmured. "I thought it was only two."

"What are they for?" I asked, tracing my own claw over the middle one.

"They're each for a separate wolf. If three wolves all twist them at once, the trees will reveal the Dreamstone." He glanced up at the coiling branches. "It ensures that the stone is being released for noble causes, as there will be three wolf minds actively deciding to." He growled under his breath, but thankfully refrained from cursing again. "Three. I should have known."

I butted my snout against his flank in an attempt to calm him down. "It's alright. This is Dreamland, remember?" Moving to the edge of the cage, I reached for my magic again - but this time, a different aspect, the sort every resident here could have if they chose. "And I am the master of wolves."

In an instant, grey fur formed at my paws, morphing into the shape of a wolf I knew all too well. Blue eyes stared up at me, and I grinned.

"Hey, Thirdy," I greeted my creation. "Mind helping me out?"

He nodded, already knowing what to do. Beside me, Razik chuckled to himself as Thirty-Four, my own precious wolf pup, leapt across the cage and clasped his paw around the lowest knot. I stood beside him and grasped the middle knot, and at Thirty-Four's other side, Razik clutched the top one.

I counted down, and we all twisted at once.

For a moment, nothing happened. I wondered whether we'd done it right. Was Thirty-Four an acceptable addition? Was his input not allowed, because he was my character?

Then the wood creaked. Razik stepped back, and both me and Thirty-Four did the same. We watched in wonder as the tree trunk parted to reveal a shining gem enclosed inside, glimmering with the same pale blue of Cross's scales.

Razik nodded to me. Stepping forward, I grabbed the Dreamstone, holding it carefully in my teeth. As soon as I'd retreated again, the tree closed itself once more.

The cage parted, and we all leaped out at once. I glanced back just in time to see the branches knit together again, closing off the keep until the next wolf would enter.

"We did it," Thirty-Four breathed - the words I would have said had the gem not claimed my jaw. I nodded my thanks to him, and he grinned, his eyes lighting up as blue as the Dreamstone.

Sometimes, he made me feel bad for being so mean to him.

"The danger isn't over yet," Razik reminded me. "You still have to get to the top of the highest peak and hold that aloft."

I nodded again, annoyingly my only means of communications currently.

"But I must return to my mate now," he added, already stepping away. "Good luck, Pup."

In a flash of red-brown, he was gone.

I turned to Thirty-Four. You have to go, too, I told him. I'll save you for the danger of your own world.

He nodded, grateful I'd chosen him to help regardless. He was my special favourite... not that I'd tell any of the others, of course. In a flurry of blue sparkles, he vanished, returning to his own wolf world.

With a smile, I gave the tree cage a parting glance and set off back towards Dreamland's centre. But I barely managed to travel a few pawsteps before I had company once more, and this one was less welcome.

The nightmare beast was waiting, torn wings spread in threat. Its eyes, which I now noticed were void-black, fixed directly on me. This time however, I didn't run away.

Instead, I lifted my head, letting the Dreamstone gleam in the sun's light. It shone so brightly I had to close my eyes at the flash. When I opened my eyes again, the light had faded, and the beast had become a perfectly acceptable wolf, with fur of the same grey of the sky and pale blue wings.

I officially love this thing.

I gave the baffled winged wolf a nod, ignoring the fact that I'd completely forgotten the name I'd given her, and flicked my tail to request a lift. Well, the true request I made with my mind, in a similar way to what I'd done with Thirty-Four. Though still looking confused at her sudden appearance, the wolf accepted, and allowed me to clamber onto her back.

To Admin Mountain, I instructed her, and we were off.

*     *     *

Dreamland was not in a good state.

The winds were just as fearsome as before, but they were now accompanied by rain, crackling thunder, and lightning, my old nemesis. It made my side ache again at the sight of it.

Below, several houses were aflame, and even more had been ripped apart and reduced to ruins. Even up here, I could hear the screams as the residents battled for some scrap of shelter. But there was no hiding from the Nightmare Clouds.

Flattening myself against Breeze - who had reminded me of her name on the way here, which in turn reminded me that she desperately needed a name change - I spurred her towards the mountain, clutching the Dreamstone ever more tightly between my fangs. I was pretty sure there was more water on my than there was fur now. Breeze had to beat her wings thrice as hard to shake off the rain gathering there and to battle the persistent gales.

I hadn't expected things to escalate this quickly. It only made my mission all the more urgent.

We passed over the Rush Cult, gathered in a cloaked huddle below us as they fired beam after beam from their staffs. We swerved to avoid their fired magic, though most of them were obliterated by lightning above us anyway.

I tried to push my own magic up in a protection dome as I had before, but my energy was almost spent from my journeying. Plus keeping the gem in my mouth was proving increasingly more difficult, stealing a lot of my focus. I pushed Breeze to fly faster, willing the mountain's peak to reach us quicker.

We were close. So close.

Then a streak of lightning flashed in front of us, blinding me momentarily. Breeze jolted in the air. She reared upwards to avoid being zapped. I scrambled for a grip, desperately trying to lock my claws into her fur, but the rain made her back too slick to grip.

Suddenly, my claws were gripping nothing at all, and I fell.

It took all of my effort not to scream. Instead, I focused my fear into the Dreamstone, clamping down so hard that I was sure I would cleave it in two.

Please, someone notice me. Please.

The ground was getting closer.

Then I felt myself thump into something, and the falling stopped

Shakily, still gripping the gem tight, I fumbled for a grip in whatever had caught me. Blue scales, the same shade as the stone I clutched so hard, gleamed beneath my paws. I slid my claws into a familiar ridge, and raised my head a little.

Cross's eyes stared back at me, soft and bright with concern.

Though I couldn't speak my thanks, I stared right back, giving her a nod. She smiled, smoke drifting from her nostrils as she sighed her relief.

Together, we soared upwards. Nothing could stop us reaching that mountain peak. Somehow, I knew that.

More lightning flashed around us, but Cross avoided it all, her wings curving as she displayed her skill. I shivered, digging my claws firmly between her scales. The air grew thinner, and with only my nose unblocked, I felt my chest beginning to tighten.

It wasn't long before Cross touched down at the peak. I tumbled from her back, not caring about my descent's lack of grace. Everything felt cold, freezing cold, and every part of me was soaked.

The Dreamstone finally dropped from my jaw as I gasped. So, so cold. I'll never hate the heat ever again.

I wasn't sure if I could pick the gem up again. I doubted I could ever move from this position. The winds truly did bite as they sliced by, stinging me with a strange burning sensation that only made me colder.

Then something loomed over me, something blue. A dragon wing, shielding me from the wind. Looking up, I met Cross's eyes, remembering what I'd told her.

I won't let you down.

I hadn't been planning on breaking that promise, and I wouldn't let myself fail now.

With one final effort, I grasped the Dreamstone in my teeth once more and thrust it upwards. My back and shoulders straightened; my neck straining as high as it would go. Cross removed her wing and the wind flooded back in full force, but I endured it.

Screw you, Nightmare Clouds.

My eyes slid closed as the light began to shine, just as it had in the forest. Even behind my eyelids, its brightness lingered. The whole world was bathed in purest white.

After several moments, it faded, and I grew brave enough to see again.

The sky was clear, wonderfully clear. The winds were dropping already to a light breeze that toyed with my fur, rather than ripping through it. Only grey specks remained of our oppressors, and even as I watched those specks of clouds vanished entirely, leaving us with nothing but shining blue above.

The sun's golden rays sank into my fur, an odd sensation of warmth meeting icy cold, and I laughed.

The gem fell to my paws. It had done its job, and so had I. Dreamland was restored to its perfect nature once more.

Grinning widely, I glanced over at Cross to see the same joy in her eyes that I felt. Along with something else. Pride. She was proud of her little wolf admin for such an achievement.

Well, I hoped so, anyway. Emotion wasn't clear like that. But I hoped she was proud. Even if it wasn't real, that thought made me smile even more.

We travelled down the mountain together, me clinging to her scales once more, but this time able to reach my head up and let the sun dry out my fur. I already felt so much better. Even the lightning's ache was all but gone.

When we reached the ground, BC Town was overrun with celebration. Residents cheered, dancing in the light that had been obscured by the clouds. The Rush Cult raised their staffs and decorated the skies with green fireworks. More reserved members shook hands, grinning, more quietly enjoying this new peace.

I slid off Cross's back and lingered for a moment, leaning against her. It was the closest a wolf and a dragon could get to a hug. Her warmth dried the remainder of the dampness still chilling my fur.

"I've got just the thing," I whispered before we separated. I dashed back towards the mountain, only a few bounds away, and slipped inside my Wolf Cave.

I would curl up here and reflect on my day at a later date. Right now, I only grabbed something sitting at the side of the cave with my teeth and dragged it out into the open.

My confetti canon. My pride and joy, and definitely the perfect tool for celebration.

With one yank of the cord, confetti filled the air, decorating the town with sparkling colour. I rushed out and danced beneath it, leaping and twirling amongst my friends and fellow residents.

I knew I looked ridiculous. I felt it, too. But I was too exhausted and too high on my victory to care.

The nightmares were gone. At some point, they would return. But at least now I knew that we could stop them.

Right now, I revelled in the knowledge that the only thing I had to worry about was being responsible for this confetti-covered mess.

~

The story is dedicated to the wonderful DreamlandCommunity, which has been with me right since day one (quite literally xD) and is probably the reason I spend so much time here.

I would 100% recommend all the clubs and even the community discord group. It's truly an amazing and welcoming place, and this entire story stems from the enjoyment I've had during my time here. Thanks, everyone (but especially Cross :D *hugs*).