Darkness. Darkness was his ally.

Wild moved swiftly along the grass as the rabbit clan moved off behind him. The night was dark, moonless and clouded in shadow. They used no torches to light their way, no light was shining at all. The darkness was their shield, their shelter, they hid in it as a kit hides in their mother's garments.

As the rabbits behind him worked tirelessly to break down the camp and move to the safety of the meadows, Wild and the swiftest warriors remained behind. They would stop anything that wished to stop their clan, Wild smiled, his clan. It is true, it was rather strange, his presence among them, but he did not care. He had found his mate and her clan had accepted him, for the most part. He had seen the looks from the hares when he arrived with her flower in his armour and it had made him nervous for her. But he would deal with that if and when he had to, not tonight and no time soon.

The air was still and a mournful tune seemed to play through the night, mourning the end of peace. The stars danced overhead uncaring of the toils of mortals as they continue their everlasting watch of the lives of mammals. The Great Spirit felt empty and gone from this land, this land of war and toil.

Wild gripped his spear against the cold, black, night and charged forward into the unknown. He ran his nose searching for any threats, anything that could threaten his mate, his clan.

He had lived his life alone, survived on his own, this made him an excellent scout and a handy fighter. He would need to learn how to fight as a unit, but for now, his skills would work. He placed his spear on his back and ran on all fours, feeling his instincts take over. He ran through the tall grass, his eyes darting and nose twitching. Only an hour later it became clear they were not alone.

He smelled them, their desperation, their pain, their hunger. They were running at them, caring not for stealth. They wanted only blood, meat, and bone. They wished to crush and consume their prey, his mate. His slitted eyes narrowed as they cast an eerie glow into the night.

His teeth bared and he left out a howl that sounded as if he was taken by an evil spirit. An ancient feeling took hold of him and he charged forward. What came for them was a clan of foxes, and they wished to take what was his.

The rabbits and hares heard his cry echo through the night and felt a burst of fear run through them. The cry they all fear from birth, it meant danger, they needed to hurry.

Wild's cry was answered by several more, filling the night with the unholy sound. Wild did not stop, he charged forward, his teeth bared and his eyes savage. He met the first fox, one that scouts far ahead of the rest, charging right into him, he clamped his teeth around the scruff of his neck.

The fox looked at Wild in confusion and fear as it fell to the ground. Wild's claws came up and raked the other fox across the face, he yelped in pain. Wild could hear the other foxes approaching, fast now. He retreated, leaving the fox whimpering as it held its bleeding face and throat.

Wild made a large circle around where he fell the fox and waited, soon the rest would arrive.

The hares arrived just as the foxes did and they stood a mere stone throw away from each other as they each waited on the other. Then came the screams from behind.

The camp was being raided, that much was clear to Hops, but where were they. They moved in the night swift and dangerous, she sniffed the air in the middle of camp, sling in hand, searching. The torches had been lit and the warriors ran throughout the camp.

A slight hint of red and it charged her, its teeth bared, its eyes narrowed, murder in its mind. Hops let the stone in her sling fly, in an instant the fox lay dead, sprawled at her feet. For a moment her heart was struck with fear and guilt before she was knocked to the ground. Over her towered a large fox, he was full of hatred and rage for her. She struggled against him as he raised his claw, he brought it down and across her face leaving three deep gouges. She brought up her legs and kicked him as hard as she could in the chest.

He flew back and collided with a tent waiting deconstruction, moments later a tent was thrown over him.

Wild watched as the last of the foxes fled, his claws, spear, and teeth now stained with blood. Before him lay two bodies of his fellow species and twelve shocked hares. While hares and rabbits did fight and had fought foxes, and killed them before, they had never seen the ferocity with which predators fought each other. Never did they both leave as when prey jousted.

With the threat gone Wild turned and went to the camp, a clear sign of his need for training. He ran on all four as fast as he could back to her.

As he reached the camp the guards nearly went for him and speared him before he stood and his armour could be seen. He went straight to her tent, but she was not there. His nose went crazy as it searched the air, through the dust, fear, and blood. He flinched as he smelled death in the air, but it was not her, it was a fox.

He searched, running throughout the camp until he found her scent. He smelled her blood and began to panic, was he really such a failure, such a coward that as soon as he found her he would lose her.

Then in the haze of fear and confusion, he saw her, her back turned to him and clutching herself firmly. He ran to her.

Hops was shaking as she stood and slowly walked away from the trapped fox. She became aware of how close she had been to death. She held herself and stood still and silent as they dragged the wounded fox away, she remained unmoving as the night continued.

She wasn't aware of the passage of time as she stood in her own arms. Then she was spun around by large paws and came face to face with a fox.

She flinched and cried out, not a scream, but a whimper. Her body cowering in shock.

It was enough for Wild.

He recoiled in shock, his eyes widening as he backed away from her. She was afraid of him.

He looked at his paws covered in blood, his snout and face likewise the same. He looked at her and saw that while her face has begun to soften her nose was still twitching. He ran.

He ran and kept running, to the edge of camp and away from any rabbit. As he reached the edge of the camp, he looked back once before he continued.

She was afraid, he had terrified her because of what he was. She had seen him for what he was for the first time since they had met. He sat now at the foot of a tree staring into the sky as he held her flower in his hands. His heart weighed heavy in his chest as he twirled the pink symbol of her love in his hands. A love he now knew was based on a lie she had convinced herself of, and he had blindly followed suit. As he sat under the tree he wept.

"What troubles you, my son?"

Wild shot up and searched around him, he saw no mammal. He had heard a voice, but he saw no speaker. Then from up among the grass rose a serpent, it studied him carefully, flicking its tongue in the air.

"Tell me, child."

It spoke, and Wild fell beneath the tree in shock.

"A, a talking serpent?"

"I am not a serpent child; I merely chose this form."

Wild sat on his knees, staring up at the serpent.

"Then what are you? Who are you? Are you a spirit?"

The serpent chuckled and it seemed to fill Wild with a warm grace.

"I am that is, I am all that was and will be, and I am a helper to those in need. Are you in need child?"

Wild nodded softly, again looking at the flower in his paws. The serpent lowered itself and from him to the flower.

"Ah, the trickster in love with the meek, and you are afraid," the serpent paused and watched Wild wince, "You are afraid of yourself, why do you all doubt me? You are not made to be a beast unless that is what you chose, you do not need to hate yourself child."

The serpent brought its tail up and raised Wilds head by the chin.

"You have been brought together to serve a purpose far greater than you can imagine. You hold a great place in the story of this world my son, a place that will, if you accept it, change the course of this tale. But you must accept her."

The serpent reached down and plucked a small daisy from the earth.

"I shall make this easy for you. You think of yourself as a savage beast, she thinks of you as a friend and mate." The serpent blew on the daisy, turning it to a dark shade of blue. He placed the blue flower into Wild's paw, the new flower had an ominous glow.

"Now you have two flowers, one for her and one for you. You may now choose, do you wish to become the savage you see yourself as, then eat the flower I have given you. Or would you rather take up the mantle presented to you and change the world with her?"

The serpent waited for Wild's answer as he looked from one flower to the other.

"I wish to be with her."

The serpent smiled warmly.

"Then throw the other down, release yourself."

Wild threw the blue flower to the ground and placed her flower back amongst his armour.

"Now go to her, and be fulfilled."

Wild went to thank the serpent, but it had disappeared, had it been there at all, had he been sleeping? He looked as the sun began to rise and he made his way back to the camp, back to her.

The Spirit watched him as he left, turning to the tree he waved his hand over it. From the base of the tree sprung forth a bed of blue flowers.

"So that everyone may have the choice, let them be wise in their making of it."

Wild made his journey back, he had wandered farther than he had realized. His guts were burning with worry and care, what could he say, what would she do.

As the sun poked its head over the lip of the world, smiling carelessly down upon them, he crossed the land and entered the camp.

Wild slunk through the camp and avoided the stares and words of hares and rabbits. He made his way to her tent to see it guarded by two hares, as he approached they raised their spears at him.

"Stay homba, you cannot enter."

Wild froze, he felt a sorrow rise in him, she feared him this much. His sorrow changed as he stood before the hares, he had killed for this clan, he had given to them. An anger rose in him as he started forward.

Perhaps these hares needed a reminder as to who was who.

He bared down on the hares, drilling into them with his eyes, the hares began to shake ever so slightly. No matter their training a fox was a born killer, born to kill them. Wild had known this before he had let himself be so foolishly seduced, and he flinched as he realized he would do it again. He had forgotten the words so quickly, the promise he had been given.

"I must see the Rah."

"You will see no one homba."

Wild had no time for this, he had a message, a message that could bring peace. He had his promise.

"Let me pass, let me see them."

The flap of the tent opened and she emerged, her face bandaged and her eyes full of confusion. The confusion changed to fire when she saw him, turning to the hares she kicked the nearest one in the shin. The surprised hare tumbled and gripped his leg in pain.

"Do not dare prevent him from seeing me."

Her voice was so full of venom that it warmed Wild's heart, he stepped forward towards her. She greeted him with outstretched arms, they embraced softly as she led him into the tent. There sat the Rah on a small wooden seat, he looked up at Wild as he entered.

"Ah, so you have returned, we were worried for you."

"I can bring peace," Wild said quickly, the Rah raised his eyebrows, Wild continued, "I have seen the Great Spirit, he has touched me."

The silence was deafening, it was followed by planning, discussing and meditation by the Rah. They now knew what they must do, and Wild knew if he was wrong, he would doom this whole clan to death.

Wild walked back to his own tent, his heart and mind heavy. He was about to change everything, to add a new chapter to an ancient book. Was he right, could he do this? Then the voice, calm and warm came to him again.

"Fear not child, for I am with you, I have brought you through your life, through all your hardships and toils. I will give you the way, my hands will guide you. Your path will be guarded and I will be your vanguard. Sleep now, and fear not."

Wild still feared if he was wrong. What if the voice was wrong, if it was a hidden evil, no it was too warm. He drifted to sleep.

Authors Note: And so we step into the realm of Mythos. Wild is about to begin the odyssey that will lead all of mammalkind into a new era. What lays in store for this great Exodus and what will the creatures of the evil ones do to stop them? Such a life is rarely lived and can weigh heavy on the shoulders of those chosen, both Wild and Hops. For they both have a part to play, their destinies dance beside each other in unison.