Awakening

The glowing tines of the stag struck her shoulder, flinging her backwards with an intense force. Her shoulder didn’t hurt as much as her head when it hit the hard, marbled floor, her vision going dark for a long moment.

She heard only the distant shouts of her friends, torn between rage and desperation. I’m sorry. She felt a paw touch her shoulder as she laid half awake, urging their concern and rousing her back to awareness. She only saw the back of Hemlock, as he rushed back into the fray. She also saw Coda, practically flying into the deer with an arrogant swipe, and Ursa clawing and scratching with the same ferocity as her namesake.

And then she saw Kaiser, a strange orange light erupting from their pelt and claws. Both pride and jealousy raised in her throat. He’s awake.

She turned her gaze downwards, towards her own paws. She took a shaking breath. Please. She begged, putting her paws together in one final beg- a prayer.

Please.

A small, orange light flickered between her pads. Light. But…no. She knew… She knew before she had even opened her paws. She knew the moment she had seen the power emanating from Kaiser’s pelt. This was not the Warden’s light. 

Of course. Ephesus had been right all along. She was never meant to receive his gift. She was always meant to be imperfect, unwanted in the eyes of the sun. In the eyes of everything. She felt tears well up in her pitiful eyes.

Okay.

Fine.

Bitterness swelled in her suddenly, and she felt all her repressed anger suddenly explode from her in a sob. The small flame reacted in kind- and getting to her paws she found this new strength once again leading her towards the great beast.

If she wasn’t meant to be, then so be it. She kept her previous oath- she would fight until she couldn’t. She would not let her friends die from her mistakes. If her deity didn’t want her, then she would not go quietly.

Her paws, encased in a waking flame, raised as she lashed out at the beast with the others, fighting with all their new powers combined.