Tails of Sanctuary

Chapter One: Questions We sat in a dark room - Hojan and myself.  A door creaked open, and through it walked a massive Shepherd we both knew all too well. Bailey.   The room was dimly lit by a skylight that seemed to hang miles above our heads, forming a small cone around the two of us.  Whenever one of us would move, the light would follow as if the Oak itself was casting a wary eye on us. Vines from the ground had sprung up, forcing us to sit still.  The walls around us mimicked the tree we were in, but the bark was black and looked like cold steel rather than the wood I was accustomed to seeing. Bailey walked up to us, and even in the darkness, I could feel the disappointment and anger washing off of her thick coat. “What did you fools do?” “We saved them,” Hojan muttered, his eyes ablaze with the same orange color as his coat.   Bailey huffed and then turned to me. “Storm, tell me what you did.” She wasn’t asking. I looked over at Hojan wh...

                                                   The Dark Sentinel                  Storm’s Story As I ran through the fountain and into the place beyond the shed I could not shake the images that flashed through my head. At first, we stood shoulder to shoulder with the Sentinels. We sang our songs and they recited their oaths but soon it did not matter. One by one the dogs on each side of me began to cough and fall to the ground in pain. The Sentinels faded like a leaf being blown off a dry tree. In a matter of minutes, just the council remained. Their words still echo in my mind, “Find her. Stop the Sentinel.” I heard a booming laugh behind me, “You cannot win Storm!” It was close on my tail and I didn’t have much time to act before it caught up to me. Quickly I made my way to the grove. My feet beat ...

                            The Great Race                                  Part Three About an hour after we had set out from Mr. Howell’s cave we were led off the path and began to make our way through brambles and thickets led only by the sounds of the crickets. The light from the Oak was at our back and what laid ahead of us was only darkness. The torch I held in my mouth gave off a little light but only enough to see a foot or two ahead of me. Not nearly enough to guide myself much less the group at large. I was placed at the back of the group so Hojan and Thomas’ eyes could adjust to the darkness we were walking into. *Crack* we froze. The crickets halted their song. My heart jumped into my throat and I nearly dropped the torch. Darkness consumed us as the fire was just an ember on the very tip of the torch. “Who’s there!...

                                                             The Great Race                                                             Part Two “The what?” I remember thinking I must have misheard him or been daydreaming. There was no way I was meant to be the, “Are you ready, fire bearer?” Hojan repeated.  I started to sway. “I’m not here to be the fire-bearer. That’s supposed to be you! You even have a coat of fire.” Hojan laughed and shook his head while he said, “It isn’t a choice we make Kalani. Neither Thomas nor I can carry the...

                                         The Great Race                                Part One “The fire must be kept lit. It’s the only thing that keeps us safe from the darkness.” Hojan said, stepping out of a large crowd who had gathered to hear the council’s decision. Bailey’s glare met Hojan’s as she said, “We know but it is too great of a risk!” Hojan’s hackles rose and he barked out “It’s too great a risk?! You’re ensuring we will be overtaken!” Bailey shook her head stepping forward and placing her nose on Hojan’s before growling, “What would you have us do? Send you and a group of dogs out to keep the fire lit? Then what? Have the dark Sentinel either take you or lead him straight back here? No. We won’t do that. We stand the best chance of beating him here. With the Sentinels by our side. ...