Chapter 22: Chapter 22: Raven
She grabbed Zach by his arm, shaking him beside her. "Zach, do something! Call for him!"
But Zach only stared off, eyes fixed on the beast at the bottom of the valley. And finally, after a few tortured moments, he stammered out an answer, his voice reduced to disbelief.
"That's Luke," he said, his tone flat.
Both of them stood as still as stones. "What?" they asked in unison, shock and confusion dripping from their voices.
"It's him," Zach said. "I saw it with my own eyes. He's evolved."
For a while, Tanya and Zoe stood transfixed, their gazes lingering in the valley as they attempted to study the massive wolf in detail. It had initially appeared an entirely foreign creature. Now, details began to emerge, its stance, its movement, and aura over which apparently was immense Luke.
For a moment, Tanya caught her breath, her gaze fixated on the glory of flames around Luke's neck. It bore the mark of the sacred, evoking awe and reverence.
"He's… not just a totem," Tanya murmured so softly that only Zoe could hear her. "He's the progeny of something far greater. This… this changes everything."
Zoe had a far simpler response. No sooner was it out than her cheeks were aflame. "He's so beautiful," she breathed.
Zach shook his head in disbelief and muttered something about nymphomania to himself. But even he could not help admiring Luke in his current changed form.
Perhaps unbeknownst to others, he was also beginning to test his new form. A Lone Star Wolf was undoubtedly synonymous with power, yet its conspicuousness made it hard to travel incognito. This form would gather even more attention, though most, unfortunately, would raise alarms in the hearts of any human hunter set to hunt for its fur.
"I'll leave this one for emergencies," Luke said under his breath. With a quick thought, he changed back into his Skywing Wolf form. The black-and-red fur returned to light blue, and his four-wings rounded off to two, as the halo of flames vanished.
There was no hitch to that transformation; it was just that Luke paid a very high price. The Lone Star Wolf advanced powers, especially Annihilation Gang Wind and the dark curse magic, were rendered weaker in that form. Still, Luke figured stealth was worth the price.
"That's enough! I can use this Lone Star Wolf to turn the tides against anyone who thinks they can mess with me."
Tanya and Zoe observed Luke as he approached, this time as a Skywing Wolf. Tanya scowled a little, having her feeling of awe quashed by this transformation.
"What happened to your other form?" Tanya asked, crossing her arms. "It was so magnificent, you know."
Luke chuckled, sensing her annoyance. "You're disappointed, I see. That was my real form. This is just a disguise."
Tanya understood and nodded slowly in affirmation. Still, that vision of his Lone Star Wolf form lingered with her, filling her with newfound resolve.
"Alright then," Tanya finally responded, "It's all the more reason to ensure this totem gets revived. Luke, we need to realise your legacy."
Luke, amused by her determination, smirked back. "Now we're talking!"
As they talked, Luke scanned the surroundings of the valley. "Where is the wolf? He should be here long ago," he mumbled.
Zach pointed toward a massive nearby tree. "He's up there. Your Annihilation Gang Wind blew him up and all he could reach was a tree."
Luke followed Zach's motion of the finger and saw Wolf One awkwardly hanging from a tree branch. The poor wolf was howling his lungs out, flaying his legs.
Luke sighed and muttered in exasperation, "How about we call him Raven once and for all?"
Luke leaped over to Wolf One, grabbed him by the scruff, and before he knew, the wolf yelped and instant quieted down under Luke's glare.
"Come on," said Luke. "We're heading to the Flame Vein. Time to complete this stage of your evolution."
Luke, flying towards the Flame Vein, pulled Wolf One behind him, while Tanya and Zoe looked on from below.