Fighting by Anaya Phoenix (black books to read txt) 📕

I walked around, watching how everybody was doing. There was slight sickness in the air, but that would be fixed. The portal that they all came through was healing and sustaining. Any wounds or sicknesses, so long as it wasnt immediately fatal and long term, would’ve been healed. Cubs were getting used to each others scents and were making friends. Were’s were using their elements, showing how they’d learned on their own. I watched as fire and water swirled in the air and how chunks of the Earth were picked up only to be put back. A small smile graced my face, they were inadvertently training.

“Luna!!!” Zena yelled, skidding in front of me. Izzy’s little sister looked nothing like her with wild hair and equally wilder eyes.

“Yeah little one?”

“Hey!” My eyes narrowed and I took a sniff.

“Did you steal some of your mom’s chocolate?” Her lips twisted and her face lit up.

“No…” I shook my head and started walking, she sidled next to me and wlaked in the same fashion that I did.

“How are you guys settling in?”

“Bella’s being a bitch about the whole thing, but Izzy’s holding everything together. Your shifters aren’t making it easy though. Cameron almost got into a fight with one of them because they kept pushing into me.” My eyes narrowed and I stopped, I stooped down to her level and looked into her eyes.

“Who kept pushing in to you?” Resolve settled in her eyes and she lifted her chin. She wouldn’t tell me, and on that I was absolutely sure about.

“My famil is settling in well, we’re all a bit tired and unorganized but we’re getting there.” She said with a small smile before walking away, her body slightly tense. I stood up and shook my head, this morning was turning out to be utterly confusing.

“If ti isn’t ring leader of the wolves.” Louie the polar bear said as he and Vixie walked behind me.

“Hey, did you guys eat breakfast?”

“Do you even know my mom?” Vixie scoffed, crossing her arms.

“Good point, did you guys settle in alright last night?” They both giggled until they realized that I wasn’t.

“Where were you last night?” Louie asked, his eyes inquisitive.

“I… went to sleep early.” Not the truth, but not a blatant enough lie that I was caught in it.

“Tonight, don’t.” Was all Vixie said bfore the walked off.

“I have a feeling they’re totally talking about me.” I grumbled before going to check on my family.

    Izzy ran into me on the way to where most of my family was, literally ran into me. Her heart was beating fast as she gripped onto my arms to steady herself.

"You OK, Izzy?"

"Too far!" She huffed before she ran past me and several other shifters who were  familiarizing themselves with the tunnels. Not even a second later the shifter boy who'd been interested in her skidded in front of me, his eyes an aged cognac. With a nod he turned the direction she'd ran and ran after her, not really using his speed. That would've been cheating. Shaking my head I continued toward my family on scent until I got close enough that I could hear them. Each room was essentially a hole in the ground. Tall enough to walk around at full height and wide enough to fit two bunk beds, maybe a bit more if one out their mind to it. My family was in one of the bigger holes and were louder than all creation.

"I said back off!"

"Yeah well I don't have to listen to you!"

"I'm older!"

"And my tits are perkier, let's continue to state more facts!"

"If by perkier you mean non existent, then sure!!" I heard a quick snarl before a grunt was heard and then a thud.

"Honestly people." Anna groaned, by then I'd arrived to see Alissa and Anna standing over Caras body and the rest of the family resting on the beds and holding in their laughter.

"She's gonna wake up soon and get pissed, when she sics JJ on you don't come to me." That boy was freakishly strong and stubborn, figures Cara would have him for a mate. Alissa rolled her eyes and crossed her eyes.

"She started it." For some reason I highly doubted that and didn't have to look to Jesse who was doing a slicing motion over his neck to know it wasn't true.

"I've gotta talk to you guys." Immediately they sobered and straightened. I say on the bed opposite to the one they were on. I sat down and rubbed my face and sighed, leaning forward I put my hands on my knees.

"Change is coming for all of us, a trying change. What occurs over the time we're here, it's going to be a lot. All of us will be tried and all of us will be assessed, those who make the cut and those who don't will all be used. I just, I need all of you to be safe and strong. For me and for yourselves, do you guys think you can handle that?" My voice, sincere and grave spoke in levels to my family. I saw Alissa grip Jesses hand and Lina inch closer to Libby.

"We've all been trying Luna, giving our all to help you. We can handle this." Libby said with a smile, only to be startled when Cara jumped up.

"Which one of you cows did that?!"

    The time was approaching and I could feel the need pull inside of me. Soon we would need to tell them all why they were here, we'd have to see the hope and freedom slide from their faces. I wasn't ready, but the victor in me was done waiting. My feet found their way to the main corridor and the other victors stood there, huddled. I walked to them and looked at them all, they each looked equally sickened.

"We might as well get it over with, huh?" Leo said light heartedly. I shrugged sadly and faced inward to the room. Using my pull I called all the wolves to me, tugging on each of their strings connecting them to me and held on. Slowly the others did the same and in minutes all of the shifters were at our attention.

"That was only a sampling of our power." Ursula announced, her voice loud and demanding.

"You will all feel it, that is a fact. You've all been wondering why we've gathered you all here. After all these years, after all the pain and the torture. After all the loss." Filly said stepping forward and looking to them all.

"We've gathered here to protect you, and to strengthen you." Leo announced, his eyes roaming over everyone. With a gulp I stepped forward.

"There's going to be a war, we're fighting them back. All of these years, we've all changed. Gifts from the gods. Our elemental powers and change in size are upgrades. We are soldiers now, all of us." I refused to look at them directly, I didn't have the guts to. There was minor noise but they quieted down quickly, when Ursula chuffed.

"We don't know how much time we have with you guys. We're pretty up in the air with you all on that one. The only indication that we'll be given that our time is running out is the arrival of the fifth victor." They mumbled and looked around, confused and rightfully so.

"We're awaiting the victor of Belbus, once he comes we'll have one month left." Groans and growls filled the air, the God has made quite Bad reputation for himself.

"And when will he come?" A fox asked, quaintly curious just like their whole race.

"We don't know, like I said we're in the dark about most things." I replied, still not able to look them in the eyes.

"We still have to train though. We've all been separated and scattered, left powerless and untapped. Each of you are your own beacon of power, it is up to us to tap into it and bring out the strength."

"We'll have to start training as soon as possible, tomorrow all of you will have to rest up. The only people here that have been thoroughly trained are those that had the luck of being grouped with us. They will assist in training you. It's grueling and it's demanding, but it is also what needs to be done."

"And none of you thought to tell us sooner?" A beat growled, my brows furrowed and I stepped up.

"Whoa there, we couldn't have told you sooner."

"And why not?" The same bear asked, she had children. Two boys and a girl, both of them stinking close to her.

"How would we have? Your rage is blocking all of you from seeing the bigger picture, trust me I know how it can block you from seeing everything. We would never have been able to get word out that a war was coming and be safe. We have no set communication that isn't monitored by the humans. There is constant surveillance of the ghettos, any information spread out would be tracked and stopped by the humans. We told you when the time was right. Our families are in danger here too, out whole lives have been uprooted. The only thing our families and our ghetto has that you all don't is they had been exposed to us. We're being given a tiny amount of time to help you. It won't help at all to be bitter and unforgiving, trust me I know. Help us, help you." They stayed quiet and for the first time I felt it, their overwhelming fear. It was stagnant, it was soaked into the walls, into their clothes. They had carried fear with them for so long, even in the face of hope they still quaked. It fed me, I didn't gain joy from it or anything like that. It gave me strength, and I understood my role. I was a warrior, designed to keep the peace and protect. But I was something more, something I didn't see until I was forced to see it. I was the hope that replaced fear, the light that led out the dark and brought them to a world where they wouldn't have to be scared. They were like this because I was scared, and I was angry and I was bitter. They could only take what I had, and all I had was my fury and my fear. I needed to be more, not for myself and not for my family. To protect those that needed to be protected and to lead those who were lost I would have to be a victor.

    I stepped closer, siding next to Filly, Leo, and Ursula. We were made to help them, and we'd been called in.

"We can protect you, and we will protect you. I know you're scared and I know you're angry. You've been scared and you've been angry for so long now that there's nothing else that you know. Let us help you learn, it's been so long since we've been free and fought back that we've forgotten how. Our claws taken and our paws tied. Here, there's freedom. Here we can roar and growl and fight and not be controlled. Here we will learn how to be animals again and we will destroy our cage! Here is where we claim back our lives for our own!" I stuck my fist in the air and the fog of fear that has clouded the room slowly faded. Kids ran up to us and peered up at all of us, they would remember this forever.

"We must learn how to fight back because it is our only option! We fight for freedom or we die in fear, and we're not too keen on the latter!" Filly said proudly, raising her fist too.

"Our roars are mighty alone, but together they are stronger than they could ever be. We will use