Part Two The Gathering

**Lantrea! Lantrea! Wait not another moment! Attack Caaris! Kill him Lantrea! Kill him!!** Inoshi wondered whether this was his best trick yet! Not only would dainty little Lantrea get herself into a fight with Caaris, the bloody leader of the Creashaw, but if the Guardian succeeded in destroying the evil beast, Shallie would be emotionally wounded, and HE would get the glory for sending Lantrea out to attack the Creashaw.

Inoshi laughed to himself, his presence perfectly hidden, his thoughts guarded on every front. This was what he was perfect for, this was what he did best, this was his ball park now! Again shifting his thought signature, Inoshi sent up the last part of his trick.

**Shallie, do not fight her! She will not hurt you...** inoshi let the sound of Caaris’s voice ring in Shallie’s mind and then he sat back to see what his handy work would do... </u>

<b>Epharen heard those words exchanged by Shallie,Lantrea,and some other Sharro she did not know. Another voice,sounding like Shallie but not fooling Epharen, ordered her to kill the Nonoshan.But Epharen did not need to be told to do so.
For one brief moment, the Nonoshan was pinned by the Sharro female, disoriented in his drunken state.She was growling low and bore her teeth despite the fact she had tight hold of his throat. The Nonoshan regained some of his senses and flung her off of him,quickly standing in a defensive position.
Epharen was unphased by being thrown. She sprung up on her feet again,growling and bearing her teeth. She wouldn't stop until there was Nonoshan blood shed.
Pherlladen. Where was he? Was he harmed or even still alive? What about the others? All those questions raced through her mind as she stood her ground.
The Nonoshan's angry gaze pierced Epharen,and the two stayed frozen in their stances across from each other. Their growls were deep,low,blood thristy.
Epharen sprung forth forcefully,using her powerful hind legs to set her off. She met the Nonoshan in mid-air,as he too lunged forward in attack. Both of them hit the ground,Epharen's jaws clenched over his throat. His fangs sunk deep into her shoulder,a firm, unrelenting grasp.She bit down just a little harder,drawing blood from the beast's neck. Epharen was fully aware of her own scarlet blood staining her silver coat, though she gave no significance to the pain.
" Nieg-ger ", she heard him think in referance to herself. That was only about the worse name you might call a female.
Epharen growled and hissed as she pounded him onto the ground. The Nonoshan flipped them over,pinning her beneath him and taking hold of her neck.
He snarled and clenched his teeth tightly around her neck. She was in a vulnerable position. He could either lacerate her throat or slash her chest and stomach.
Epharen did not move,but did not surrender either. She concentrated on breathing,as he tried to suffocate her.
She thought of Pherlladen and how she loved him more than her own life.
" Where are you, Pherlladen? " she whispered in her mind, as her lungs begged for air but the Nonoshan was choking her. Everything became blurred and sound faded away. Her eyes rolled back as they closed.
" Where are you? " </b>
Shiinesha pressed her weight down, hoping to get the Guardian onto the ground, hoping to force her into a posstion in which she could kill the beast. Shiinesha, did not hear the voice of Inoshi; but Shallie did. It sounded like Caaris in every way but one. Something that Shallie had learned from her time with the dark creature was that his thoughts were constantly coated with a blanket of pain and hidden memories covered with anger. This thought was simply words, uncolored, and unemotional. No, this was not Caaris, this could not be.

Gathering all of her strength Shallie forced herself up with the skrawny Creashaw still tearing at her back. What had happened? Where was Epharen? Where was Lantrea? And who was this voice? Shallie flung Shiinesha off, and the light creature was thrown into the surrounding brush, her pressecne once more hidden.

Shallie turned to see Epharen struggling with a Nonoshan. She had to help her friend!

**Caaris, help me!** Here was something that the two of them could do together; fight the Nonoshan.

Leaping onto the struggling creatures, Shallie clawed at it’s face. Caaris gathered himself in front of the huge creature and bgan to consentrate on the Nonoshan’s drunken mind.

**fear** He whispered to it, sending spine chilling colors and sendings to the Nonoshan’s brain. **fear.... RUN! RUN!** With a sudden instinct sending the Nonoshan jerked, and shuddered, but did not move. Caaris had done this many times, when he had not wanted to kill the Nonoshan, but it had become obvious to him that this trick would not work.

**Shallie, get Epharen away from him!** Caaris’s sending was jagged and sharp, a warning not to be ignored. Still tangled in the brawl Shallie struggled to reach her friend. Her claws raking, her eyes bright with fear, but her attacks strong, Shallie forced the Nonoshan to back away from her third in command.

Caaris refocused on the Nonoshan. He could feel the creature’s brain waves as they shot back and forth struggling under the influence of alchohol to understand what was going on. Caaris wrapped his focus around the brain, and searched, searched for any information that he could pick up before crushing the life from it. Opening his eyes Caaris looked upon the dead body of the Nonoshan and knew that it had kept a secret from him, some how it had stopped him from seeing something...


Epharen did not feel pain,did not hear noise or voices,did not see anything of the real world. She was in some odd but beautiful dream. She knew not if she was simply asleep or if she had passed on into the next life,but she relished the almost surreal images her mind granted her.
Epharen saw a free race of Sharro, she felt the warmth o the sun upon her. She saw herself rising up in the wake of victoy as a morning star, basking in the glory that seemed to consume her.
Epharen was then flashed into another scene. She was running,running across endless plains, gliding over meadows rolling beneath the golden sun and swirling sky. The air was light and cool, it smelled of freedom,asted like it. Epharen stood tall at the top of a hill overlooking all the plain, and seemingly all the world,her fur being flurried by the wind.
She heard Shallie and Lantre.She heard their voices as distant echoes, though she could see them. She saw her cousin Feravell bearing a whit banner of peace, a golden light upon her head.
Epharen saw Pherlladen. She captured his image in her desperate gaze, and he looked at her with two deep brown eyes.
They rose to the skies and were bound to each other in the clouds and wind, time sweeping past all around them. But they remained untouched.
Epharen was alone. She had been given wings and Epharen flew without bondaries. She pursued her dreams and her desires across the skies and left a veil of stars in her wake.
Her soul relished ulimited glory, victory, bliss. Her soul basked in it's liberation.
Shiinesha struggled to her paws. her anger was like that of a storm, welling within her until she felt she would burst. That Lantrea would pay for this! The little no good... where was the creature? Shiinesha scanned the area from her hidden view point in silence. Then she sensed something, or someone in this case; Inoshi. Inoshi was an old friend of her’s and it was not uncommon to see them out together during nights making mischief were ever they wandered.

**Inoshi, your plan has failed.** Shiinesha knew that he had been the one behind the chaos. **Help me to attack that one, Lantrea, is her name. There is no need for you to get in the fight with me, but muddle her some; confuse the brat!** Shiinesha crouched in the brush, her form and speech hidden, but her intentions clear, this was no longer a game to her, but revenge!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shallie stared in silence at Caaris, who returned her gaze. She was amazed at his ability, yet somehow it scared her. He had killed a Nonoshan without the single flick of a paw.

**Caaris! Epharen is unconscious; can you wake her?** Shallie, wondered to what extent Caaris’s powers stretched. Caaris could wake her,but he was exuasted, and felt sick from his exertion of power that he used to destory the Nonoshan.

**I can try, but there are no promises.** Caaris, pushing himself to his limits, focused his mind once again, but this time on the Sharro Epharen. Feeling her mind he saw her dreams of fields and flight, and Pherlladen. Caaris payed little attention to these things as he forced her mind into wakefulness, and pulled the Sharro from her sleep.

**Done...** Caaris collapsed, his mind over used and his power gone... all for Shallie, and her fucking Guardians.


Epharen suddenly felt herself being pulled from her prophetic vision by a stranger. She felt violated by whom ever it was. But at least now she knew she wasn't dead.
Epharen slowly came to her senses, disoriented at first.The massive Nonoshan was still upon her,and she could hardly breathe.Was he dead? She did not know.
She sensed Shallie nearby. And Lantrea. But strange prescences were also there,ones she did not like.
" Lantrea,be vigilant,my friend ", she warned the other Sharro Guardian,only a rank above her.
Epharen rolled over onto her stomach with difficulty and struggled to escape the over bearing weight of the Nonoshan.
She staggered but stood,ruffling her fur.
Pherlladen. She must find him. She must find him and help him if he was harmed or bear his body back to Guardian Headquarters if he had left from this world.
Epharen stepped forward and hissed as she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder.
Damn,she didn't need the hinderance of a wound when she was in haste to find Pherlladen.
Epharen shook it off and sent a message to her friends,Lantrea and Shallie.
" My friends,I now seek the one I love. Whether he be alive or dead,I must find him. And I must do it alone."
Epharen knew they would not understand,for they had not seen what she had in the Nonoshan's mind. She only hope they would heed her words and not follow.
Lantrea felt the urge to follow Epharen to her beloved Laden, but feeling intrusive, even at the thought of it, she restrained herself.

She felt her mind throbbing; thoughts of sudden stress and hopelessness floating throughout it's void. Her body was fatigue after the violent blows she had taken from her duel with Shiinesha and she was in need of some time alone.

**Shallie, my friend, I am afraid I must leave also.** She spoke in a smooth tone to her friend and fellow Guardian. **Something has stirred in me and has altered my mood...I don't want to transfer it to you...**

With those matters having been as clearly explained as her bleary mind found possible, Lantrea padded silently off from the broken gathering. She felt a sense of sadness, leaving Shallie behind and all, but she was in desperate need of self-reflection.

She walked along a marked path among exotic foliage, closing her eyes and letting her keen mind be her only guide. She came to a clearing beside a shallow stream, illuminated in starlight.

As she lay her head on her paws, listening to the stream's soft, babbling greetings to her... she could have sworn she heard dark whispers and footfalls in the bushes nearby...
Shallie turned, her eyes filled with anger. What made these "bakas" think that they could leave... without her permition! This meeting was not over!

**Lantrea! Epharen! You have no right to be leaving this meeting! Yoo are part of the Guardians and I am in chareg here! I gathered you together and I refuse to allow you to simply leave like this. You will both remain! This gathering has NOT ended.** Shallie was more angery then she wanted to admit, she could feel her stomach as it began to feel sick as she became infuriated.

Caaris stepped back, he had never felt such strong feelings coming from Shallie. She was truly a leader... like himself. No one got in her way!

**I suggest that you both stay...** Caaris added, his bright laughter coloring his sending. **This may be the greatest gathering of them all... the Creashaw and Guardians together on one night... and no blood shed for the first hour...**

Shallie whirled around.

**Where is your Shiinesha?** Her sendings were colored with warning for she knew the dangers that Shiinesha imposed.

**She is in the brush with a Sharro named Inoshi.** Caaris, though weak from his attack on the Nonoshan, was easily able to find Shiinesha and the Guardian.

**Inoshi! He must have been behind those sendings!!! Never mind... both of you, where are you going?** Shallie's words faded as her thoughts were brought forth into the misted night air...


Epharen had not yet left Shallie,but she saw Lantrea dissapear into the fog.She heard Shallie angrily call them back,but Lantrea had already gone.
"Shallie,why are you angry? I need to find Pherlladen. You have not seen what I have. You love him not as I do. Do not hold me back from seeking him."
Epharen spoke truthfully,and as Shallie's equal instead of a lower ranking Guardian. She sensed Shallie's frustration.
" I do not like these other prescences I sense around us. They are of evil nature. I do not know why they are here,or why you do not fight them. Are they friend to you while they are foe to me? I would not think the head of the Guardians to be one to associate with the enemy in a civil manner."
Epharen remarked this boldly. But she really did not trust these other creatures. She sought their forms beyond the surrounding mist,and found a large Sharro off to one side. He was a male,she sensed.
" Who are you? ",she questioned.
And a name came to her mind.

Caaris.

Lantrea's senses twitched in the cold night air, the fog clouding her mind having been erased, yet the ghostly white mist was undisturbed, settled densely upon the lush area's ground.

Lantrea picked up their whisperings with her keen ears and sharp mind. She could not hear much of this avid conversing, but she had deciphered enough of it to comprehend what their plans were to be. And 'they' were, with no doubt in mind, Shiinesha and Inoshi.

But why Inoshi? Lantrea, as every other Guardian, knew young Inoshi was a cunning demon when it came to troublemaking, and could be persuaded into anything if it was strategic and crafty enough. But had he turned his back on her? Had he chosen to turn to the dark side?

**Inoshi!** Lantrea's voice, for the few times it became this way, was harsh and foreboding. **I do not want things to get ugly in our situation. Do not trust Shiinesha...she is a SERPEN...!**

But the time had come too late. Something had already been begun and showed no signs of ceasing...
Caaris twitched, he could feel Epharen’s dislike for him as though he had been slapped across the muzzle. Lowering his ears, the Creashaw shut his mind to further probing from the other Sharro, and sent his name to her in a short, but formal greeting. This was not at all what he had been expecting to find in the Guardians meetings; weren’t they supposed to be organized and well done? Shallie seemed like a good leader, but this was chaos!

**Pherlladen?** Shallie was alarmed, what more could go wrong?! Her sending was bright and her mind was suddenly opened; her thoughts and feeling shocking Caaris with their severity. **Where is he?! Epharen, this is NOt something that you do alone!** Shallie was vivid, she threw back her and swung her ears back. This was insane! This was not what she had planned!

Caaris, still shocked by her outbreak, tried to comfort her with calming sendings, but Shallie remained closed to his prodding. Caaris, not used to such soft feelings, was sorely angered that his tries had been ignored, and with an angry grunt his sendings ended.

**I know where you friend is** he hissed, dripping green colored his mental words, but Caaris kept his thoughts locked away and safe so that Epharen could not find them.

**Caaris! You had better spill it or I’ll mangle you!** Shallie’s eyes widened and had she been somee other creature she would have let out a low growl of anger, but as all Sharro she lacked the voice to do so, though she sent all those gathered near her bright angry clouds, signaling her frustation.

**I will lead you there, but I can not show what the Nonoshan knew; it is too much for even you...** Caaris let his voice trail away as he thought about the memories that he now locked away within himself, about the Nonoshan... such dark things ran through that creature’s mind, it reminded him of himself.

**Then waste no more time! Let us go!** Shallie pressed her muzzle into Caaris’ side and shoved him up into the air. Levitating after him, she turned to Epharen. **Are you coming?** With that the leader of the Guardians disappeared through the mist...


Epharen felt pleased with herself as she noticed the strange Sharro male become uneasy. Caaris...Shallie seemed to know him,but he had never been mentioned before. She did not trust him and made mental note to be vigilant when he was around.
Lantrea...where had she dissapeared to? Epharen was subtly curious about her friend,but decided against following her as the well being of Pherlladen was a far more pressing matter a the moment.
Epharen's ears pricked up as she heard the words exchanged between Shallie and Caaris.
He knew where Pherlladen was.
Epharen froze,her icy blue eyes wide as they stared at Shallie. She leaped and bound up into the air after the fleeting shadows of Shallie and Caaris.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Spreeander awoke drowsily,and found that a darkness engulfed him similar to that of unconsciousness. He let out a low groan as he shifted on the hard ground. He did not know how long it had been,where he was,or how he had gotten here. He hardly remembered what had happened before.
Then he recalled something.
" Laden ",he cried out in his mind, springing to his feet. Spree frantically sought the prescence of his friend, trying to sort through the darkness as black as it was.
Spree let himself sniff the ground for Laden's scent,his mind searching for the other Sharro's prescence. He went blindly through the darkness,letting his nose guide him and mind lead him.
Abruptly,Spree stopped. There, a few feet ahead of him,he felt Pherlladen's prescence. The Sharro was unconscious and still. Spreeander dropped to his belly and began to crawl toward him,not wanting to stumble over his body.
Spree whimpered quietly as he neared his best friend,who did not move. His nose found Pherlladen's soft fur,and he no longer hesitated.
" Laden ",he said almost mournfully in his mind as he sat up. Spree placed one paw on the other side of Pherlladen's body,so that he lay between Spree's legs. Spreeander gazed down at him for a brief moment,pondering what to do, feeling rather hopeless. He bowed his head to touch his nose gently upon Pherlladen's head,before lowering himself completely to lie over him.
Spree sighed mentally in relief to feel Pherlladen still breathing beneath him,though barely. He lay his head on his best friend's and directed his body heat to Pherlladen,in case he was cold from blood loss.Spree did not know the extent of his injuries,but he prayed it wasn't life threatening.
" Stay with me,Laden ",he whispered to his best friend telepathically, conveying his deep brotherly love for him. Spree sighed as he drifted back into sleep.
" Stay with me."
Caaris, as he drifted over the city in silence, traced the pathways in his mind; things looked very different from the view of the Nonoshan and it was hard for him to follow where it’s memories led. The city, it’s streets laid deep below him, stretched out to the horizon, and seemed never to end. Caaris had once, when he was very young, almost imagined that it didn’t, and to this day he had never set paw outside of it’s boundaries. Shallie, unlike him, had seen the land of the Sharro, and she had passed through the places of his kind, it saddened him, that he would never see such things.

**We are nearing them, but I would express much caution, I feel the presence of many Nonoshan, their numbers to great to face...** His factual sending ended abruptly as Caaris began to lean down towards the ground, his mind now shut to any further speech or thought prodding from the other Sharro. He was not in the mood for talk, he did even want to look at Shallie, who was now farther from his reach then ever.

Caaris could not love her any longer, he could not even see her any more after this point... Shiinesha would help make sure that that would happen. That DAMN sharro! He hated her! Caaris quickened his pace, gliding over the towered buildings and silent halls.

**Epharen, I can feel them now. Spree is with Pherlladen; I am sure of it.** Shallie, though she could tell that the two of them were alive, was bothered but all this. What were those Nonoshan doing? Things like this had never happened before, until recently. What was stirring in these creatures that made them want to attack? What was making them what to kill Sharro all of a sudden?

Spree and Laden were lucky to be alive... Shallie looked unto the Caaris, who’s pace had not slowed though they were now down between the buildings that lined the streets. Finally they were at ground level and running, Shallie enjoyed that at least... no Nonoshan to get in her way!

**There they are!** Cried Caaris as he slammed to a halt, Shallie almost hitting into him. And there they were, amidst other dead Sharro many of which Caaris and Shallie could identify as those of their group. This had been more then a street fight between a few Nonoshan and Sharro...


Part Three
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