Part Three The Gathering

Epharen followed Caaris and Shallie over the land,the mist heavy in the sky.
She sensed the male Sharro's annoyance at his own thoughts,and Shallie's weighing responsibility for her fellow Sharro Guardians.
**Epharen,I can feel them now **, Shallie told her.*Spree is with Pherlladen,I'm sure of it *,she added.
Epharen felt them faintly as well,and was tremendously relieved that both were alive. She touched down on the narrow cobblestone road between the buildings, running,following Caaris and Shallie.
* There they are *,said Caaris,as he stopped abruptly,Shallie ceasing to run behind him as well.
Epharen pushed her way through them to see for herself,and was taken aback by what was before her.
It was a seemingly round clearing,and so dark Epharen could barely see Shallie and Caaris on either side of her. A deathly silence consumed the place, and Epharen could feel the mist surrounding her. As her eyes slowly adjusted better to the darkness,she could better see what was before her.
Many Sharro lay dead in the clearing.They lay still,shadows of beings she once knew.They had fought and were defeated,slaughtered by Nonoshan beasts.Epharen also sensed Nonoshan bodies among her fellow Sharro. She knew not whether to be more furious than mournful or not.
Epharen stepped forward warily,Shallie and Caaris remaining still behind her.She sought the prescences of Spreeander and Pherlladen with both her nose and her mind.She sauntered over the bodies and across the soil tainted in their blood,tracking their scents.
Epharen stopped. They were both there before her,unmoving yet alive. She sensed Shallie approach her from behind,yet only getting close enough to see.
Spreeander was slumped over Pherlladen, nearly covering him fully.He breathed easily,indicating he slept. Epharen crept toward them,lowering her nose to nudge Spree. His thick coat bristled in the light breeze as he came to his senses.
Spreeander lifted his head to see Epharen standing over him. He was not sure at first if it was a dream or reality. He sensed Shallie nearby as well.
*Spree*,came Epharen's familiar voice in his head.
*Epharen*,he replied.
*Are you all right?*she asked.
*I'm not sure.I think I'll live*,he said almost sarcastically.*But I'm not sure about Laden.He hasn't woken up at all.I've been trying to keep him warm,to keep him with me by talking to him a bit.*
Epharen nodded in understanding, sympathy, and appreciation.Her azure eyes searched his face, seeing his obvious weariness. She then turned her gaze to Pherlladen who lay beneath Spree, unconscious.
Spree still stared blankly up at Epharen for a while,before letting his head rest on Laden's again.Epharen did not move for a moment,but then she got closer to them and lowered herself on her belly,laying her head on Spree.
Shallie lowered her head. What had happened here? She searched through the silent minds of those dead, but their memories gave her no clue, and she pulled away in fear of the empty memories that circled in the heads of those dead. Apparently they had not stored the information about the fight.

**Caaris, can you find anything about what occurred here? Can you sense anything in them?** Shallie asked, hoping that perhaps Caaris’s people had had the sense to store their memories about the deadly fight.

Caaris scanned them, taking his time with each one as he turned his head from one side to the next, there was nothing. Caaris could not believe that his Creashaw had not attempted to keep information about this battle, it seemed to him that their memories must have been erased.

**Shallie, this is very strange. I think that a Sharro has taken their stored memory from this fight.** Caaris stated as he stretched his body out to sniff one of the more fresh bodies.

**How? I have never heard of anything like that before!** Shallie could not make herself believe that some Sharro out there had the ability to do that! It simply did not seem possible!

**I do not know...** Caaris shut off his connections to Shallie, as he scanned this new body. He could feel it, they had kept their memory some how... but they were locked away, this Sharro was alive, he was sure of it. Bending down the dark creature wrapped himself around the barely living Sharro and directed his warmth and mental strength into the fading body.

**Epharen, are they all right? Do they remember anything? Caaris believes that someone has taken their memories of the fight away...** Shallie pressed Epharen for answers, telling the other Sharro that she was worried and wanted answers right away.

Shallie wondered quietly at the passing thought of the High Counsel... somehow she knew that they had taken part in this mess...


Epharen lay still for a few moments,as she sensed Shallie and Caaris move around behind.They talked of stolen memories of those dead,and a part of her was glad the bodies they sniffed no longer breathed,so that they would not have to relive the horrors of what had happened that day.
Spreeander breathed steadily beneath her. She sensed his grief and pain,for his slaughtered comrades,for the injustice that had been allowed,for those who would soon recieve word of their fallen family members.
He was worried for Pherlladen,Epharen also sensed.She still did not yet know of his condition,and hoped desperately that it was not grave.
The three Sharro lay as they were,in a heap,on on top of the other.Shallie questioned Epharen about many things,but she had not the heart to answer. A heavy anguish weighed down upon her heart.
Epharen stood and turned to Shallie.Her eyes were colder now,and her voice was somewhat icy,as her eyes which now pierced through Shallie's.
* You question me of technicalities.It does not matter,Shallie.No matter what happened,I'm going to slaughter all the fucking Nonoshan and eat their flesh in glory. I would not have Spreeander and Pherlladen,if he still lives, put themselves through mental torment to indulge your inquiries. We shall take them back to headquarters and speak no more of it until they are well,in body and mind *,she said with a tone of full confidence.
Epharen turned her gaze to Spreeander and Pherlladen once again,her eyes sorrowed.She wavered as she sensed Caaris nearby,wary of him. The mist was cool,sifting through her fur.
Spreeander still lay unmoving upon Pherlladen's beaten body.He sensed his best friend's pain,his struggle,his unconscious grief.He feared in his heart the loss of his beloved Laden,as a brother to him and more,yet always remaining a puppy in his eyes.
* Laden *,he mentally whispered.
*Laden, please wake up for me.Please.
Do not leave me. Do not leave me to
face all of this alone.You...you know not how much my heart loves you,my friend.My brother. Wake up,Laden.*
Spree pleaded with the unconscious Sharro,straining to reach him within the confines of his mind's state. He buried his face into Pherlladen's fur,exhaling in weariness,anguish,and hopelessness.
* Laddie *,Spree absent-mindedly called him.He hadn't called him that since they were both puppies.
Epharen felt tears sting her eyes,watching and sensing Spreeander's sorrow and desperation for Pherlladen.But she knew that the limitless love that now coursed through Spreeander's entire being for Pherlladen,in attempts to sustain his fleeting life,was what really struck her and stirred tears.
Shallie sat back, shocked at Epharen’s words. Many things came to the Sharro’s mind, things that she would have normally said to set the lower Sharro back in her place, but Shallie remained silent knowing that she had been insensitive in her rush to discover what had happened.

**Epharen** Her sending was as a passing wind, it spiraled with sorrow and glittered with frustration and anger. Caaris moved beside her, pressing his warm body against hers and sending her soothing blues and still greens to calm her mind.

But the Guardian’s leader could not take what had just happened. Lowering herself to the dirt, Shallie crumpled to the ground in a heap of fur and sent out a dull moan to those around her; she heard it echo back to her from the empty minds of the dead, and closed her thought waves isolating herself from those around her.

Caaris sat down, pulling back his ears in great sadness for Shallie. He sensed that there were a great many here that she had loved, and that she felt angry at herself for letting them all die. Caaris felt no remorse or feelings like hers though, he was accustom to death, as any would be who had taken as many lives as he had.

Epharen, that was the other Guardian’s name, she had said something to hurt Shallie... Caaris growled, his anger bubbling up within him as water in great heat.

**You bitch!** His sendings rippling and shattering like glass as he sent dark reds and crimson blood colored words towards the mourning Epharen. Caaris knew his anger was uncontrollable and he wasn’t about to try and stop it this time. **How dare you speak to your better that way! You are an insolent fool, and a weakling! Death comes to all, and it is stupidity that makes any Sharro waste time in sorrow over those passed! You are a disgrace! How can you live with the Nonoshan, and have such watery feelings?!**

Caaris sent a ear shatteringly silent roar to Epharen and let his angered feelings branch out to whoever was listening; he cared little. Shallie looked up, the hurt in her eyes shimmering as silver amid rusted steel; her feelings dull, though her mourning was apparently over.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shiinesha scrambled to remove herself from her hiding place, her limbs having become entangled in the brush as she squirmed to peer up at the Sharro Inoshi had invited her to attack with him. That clever creature... would he truly attack one of his own? Shiinesha knew Inoshi well, he was not stupid. But this was insane! His leader, Shallie, would murder him if anything were to happened to Lantrea because of him... unless he had another plan...


Epharen felt remorseful as Shallie came to mourn as well,her pain obvious as she crumpled to the ground.Epharen now felt her own pain as cold blades in her heart,suddenly sensing Spreeander begin to shake with sobs.
He was crying. Spreeander,fearless Guardian and even fiercer warrior,one who had brought Nonoshan to the death like lamb to the slaughter,was crying.
He tried his best to stifle his uncontrollable sobs in Pherlladen's coat,but each whimper cut through Epharen like a dagger. He felt so hopeless,so certain he had lost Laden.In his soul,he grieved for every Sharro body that lay around him,every Sharro spirit that had fled this world.But those tears,those cries were for Laden.
Spreeander knew that Epharen was well aware of that,and he loathed himself for being such a weakling in front of his betters.But he could not help himself.
*Laddie*,he moaned,expressing more pain than ever before,the most Epharen had seen in him.
Epharen flinched as if she had been struck. That moan of a childhood nickname,cried out with anguish yet a name shared only between brothers in heart,broke her own. She did not know how Shallie felt,or if she had heard Spree's whimper.
But she did jump as she received vivid scarlett warnings from Caaris. He was,to put it lightly, quite vexed at her.
*Bitch!*she heard as clear,hard,and cold as anything. Epharen spun around to face him and snarled.
He lashed out at her with hateful words,calling her a disgrace. She felt her blood boil with hatred and the anger rising within her.
" Caaris,you bastard ",she screamed.
" Who the hell do you think you are?
I swear to God I'll kill you! " she raged. " If there need be one more body in this clearing,than so be it!"
She advanced slowly toward the male Sharro,bearing her teeth and sending bursting red and black warnings to him,not hesitent in showing her violent mood.She wanted revenge for all those killed and for Spree and their Pherlladen,and she would've been content to take it out on him.
Caaris snorted at her, what fun this would be! He glanced back at Shallie, hoping that she would have missed what they had said to each other, but she staring up at him her eyes telling him that she would allow them to fight... He turned back to his potential attacker a smirking running across his lips.

This Epharen didn't know what she was getting herself into! Did she understand how many lives before her he had taken!? Of course he wasn't planning on killing her, no he could do nothing of the sort with Shallie so near at hand... but he could show her that he was not one to be messed with.

**Are you sure? It saddens me to think that one so young as you might be willing to die...** He sent rippling laughter at the other Sharro, his words colored with vibrant blues and electric greens.

Shallie shivered, but her mind remained blank, not having the strength to retort!


Epharen could not help but smile, maliciously.She would let him think what he wished to believe.She shuddered as the thought of digging her claws into his detestable flesh crossed her mind in streaks of red against black.
* Do you like pain? * she questioned tauntingly.Her pale blue eyes were cold and hard,but there also something there that had not been seen before by any other. Though, that did not mean it was anything new...
However,what it was exactly could not be called anything else but... bloodlust. She wanted to kill Caaris. She wanted to kill him,she hated him. He was evil,a foe to the Guardians,she knew it in her mind just as surely as she knew her name.
In one small corner of her thoughts,
she observed that Shallie had not yet attempted to stop a fight. Perhaps she was not opposed to it. Good. Epharen was jumping to do this,and she would not be stopped now.
* I would have you know,scum *,she began to say, as she boldly turned her back on Caaris, and strayed but a little away from him.Of course, with her back turned,she was never more vulnerable to an attack,but she did so anyway.
But then she spun around,glaring at him so coldly it would've made anyone with actual emotions shudder.
* I do not fear death. *
**And I would have you know that I fear neither death nor pain. Kill me if you please, for I fear nothing that you would ever be able to produce.** Caaris laughed, sending shudders to Shallie. He would not die... He would not lose... No, not when Shallie was watching. Caaris threw back his head and let his eyes flash out red in the mist.

Opening the netting of his mind, he stretched his nibble, mental hands out and grasped the mist, pulling it into himself; pulling it into him and gathering it about them. He would show this Epharen what he could do!

**How do you like this?** He asked. **I hope that you like to fight without your eyes sight.** Again he laughed, and puffed his fur out as he secured to mist about them, making sure that it could not again be move.

**I hope your mind is stronger then I have seen it to be!** Caaris brought himself close to her, breathing in her eyes, and sending great blasts of air into her face. He feared nothing! No pain that any Sharro could give him, no death that they could dealt would compare with what the Nonoshan had done to him!

Roaring he leapt away from Epharen before she could do anything to hurt him, and before he, in his uncontrollable rage, hurt her. This fight had not yet been started, and though he was evil he did not kill like that...

**Caaris, Epharen! I know that you both hate each other.** Shallie had gotten to her paws, and her mind was clear, Caaris could find no trace of her sorrow. **You must wait to fight until we discover what has done this and why!** Shallie parted the fog with her body and stared into Epharen brooding eyes.

**Do not disobey me...**


Epharen was startled when mist suddenly surrounded Caaris,concealing him.
*Coward*,she thought.But his words made her frown and his thoughts too. He had been tortured by the Nonoshan,no doubt. She felt pity towards him in the tender,maternal part of her heart....but her hatred was far greater.
She advanced,blindly into the fog,using her nose to guide her to where he was. She could not see him,he was right,but Epharen was far great a warrior beyond the knowledge of even Shallie. She had been so trained as how to fight blind,and she could take no greater pleasure than in practicing with Caaris.
Epharen slightly jumped back as he blew air into her face with great power.Well,at least now she knew where he was at the moment.
Suddenly,Shallie spoke after a good while in silent mourning.She ordered them not to fight now,for they had things to find out.
*Do not disobey me*,she warned.Epharen took this as only an order to herself, for Caaris was certainly not in the command of the Guardian.
But Epharen was not one to surrender. And she had come this far,she would not back down from it now.Epharen wanted to fight him,to kill him. And she did not care what damage she took in the process or what was logical or what her orders were. She was living for herself now, making decisions on her own terms, not Shallie's. Epharen was loyal to Shallie, endlessly faithful and obediant to her.
But she could not be this time.
*I hear and yet I do not listen*,she said,directing her words at Shallie, sending them in pale blues, greens, yellows.Colors asking forgiveness and portraying submission and regret.
Epharen snarled and lunged at Caaris,striking out her paw,surprisingly long,sharp claws now unleashed. She intended to go for the face,perhaps the snout or the eyes.Or maybe even his neck...she smirked at the thought of slitting his throat.

Caaris stepped aside, easily missing Epharen’s swing at him. What child’s play! He turned to stare back at his attacker, a mocking look twinkling in his eyes. What a stupid creature...

Shallie’s mind burst forth, her anger poured over and Epharen’s request for forgiveness was forgotten. Roaring, her mind clouded over, Shallie herself leapt at Epharen, her claws and teeth glinting as she did. Fighting came so naturally to Sharro that if it hadn’t been for Caaris Epharen was sure to have been hurt badly.

Shallie writhed on the ground, her claws scrapping at the stone ground, her eyes wide. Leaping to her paws she growled, her mind sending that most angry vibes Caaris had ever felt from her.

**SHALLIE! Eere sallas sheanosa!** Caaris, not taking the time to shut his waves to the other Sharro spoke in ancient Nonoshan, a language that very few knew... Shallie shook with rage but she shoulders went lank as she gave the Creashaw a strange glance.

**We must go then!** Shallie screamed, her bloodlust far from being over and her rage still prominent in her thoughts. **Show me! Show you KAASOU!!!** Her eyes began to glow.

Caaris flicked his ears, annoyed by Shallie’s sudden violence. Epharen was stupid indeed to anger a leader such as this.

**Shass Tall!** He said to her. **I will take you...” Caaris rose into the air, his paws hanging limp beneath him.

**And you! You Epharen! I cannot ignore this insolence! I... I cannot tell you how disappointed I am in you! Surely the High Counsel will know about this... you will cause us ALL great trouble!** Shallie lifted into the air after Caaris but her eyes never left Epharen, her anger still apparent in her eyes.


Epharen hissed several curses in her native tongue as she realized Caaris had stepped back from her,proving her attack to be futile.
*Curse you,Nethgalan*,she snarled at him,using the worst insult for a male she knew.
Epharen felt rage course through her with the ferocity of venom. The depth of her fury was somewhat frightening to herself. She wanted to kill so much she didn't know what to do with herself.
And then she heard Shallie practically scream at her...about being dissapointed in her and informing the High Council of her insolence. She didn't care. Screw it,she'd take care of herself as an exile if it came down to it.
*Damn you!*
It came suddenly,as a scream so piercingly clear,Epharen would later think that the whole Mainland heard her that night.She shouted it as Shallie pushed off the ground,flying after Caaris. Epharen knew not if Shallie had heard that blunt curse at her,but she did not regret a the moment,though she definitely would later.
And then Epharen was alone. The fog began to disperse,since Caaris had taken his leave,and she could see somewhat better. Not that nearly total darkness was a large improvement from the thick mist.
Epharen cursed as she found herself on the verge of tears. She bit them back coldly. Why was she being so weak? So she was alone in this darkness,in this massacre of a clearing. It was nothing new to her,she was not a puppy. A merciless warrior with no conscious of death,and she was going to break down because of the dark and being alone?
Epharen scowled,disgusted at her brief weakness. She shook it off and it was no more. She had been left alone now,and she still had to somehow get Spreeander and Pherlladen back to a safe and a moderately decent place.
*Those heartless cowards*,she thought vehemently.*They left without a second thought of Spreeander and Pherlladen. They left them for dead.*
Epharen felt her heart burn with anger and betrayal at her own thought. But then she straightened with a sense of duty.
It was now up to her to get her love and her friend back to safety. She had always been on her own,and hell,she loved it. She just wished those two had actually cared about Spree and Laden, especially Shallie,who was supposed to be their leader. If not for her sake,for their's.

The wind blew sweetly and softly threw the maze like city; its still pathways beginning to liven up as the bright Shomta Star edged near the horizon where it would remain for the rest of the day, but the larger star was no where to be seen.

**What tidings...** Shallie sighed, as she allowed herself to be lowered to the top of a rather high building, Caaris after her. **I am afraid for Epharen; she does not understand why we left... hell, she barely understood why we gathered.** Shallie shook herself, her fur loosening itself from the dewy mist that hung to it, the mist was now gone and the sky was clear but Shallie still felt far from Caaris and his image seemed to be clouded.

Part Four
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