h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

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*Thena yips and play wrestles with him*

*the other wolves watch, tossing their heads in amusement*

*wrestles her until he has her neck in his mouth*

*he lets go and steps back*

[Thena, may I have the tooth... I must return before I am missed..]

*she yips and leads him to the cave, where in a small depression of the stone floor at the back is a collection of fangs, her large white one easily discerned in the small pile*

Thena: [Here, have all that you want.]

*licks her*

[thank you thena.. if you neeed me send a bird... or if you must... yourself]

*he noses her*

[Goodbye Thena

*takes her tooth as well as some others in his mouth and then dashes out of the forest*

*Wolf enters the forrest and within a few moments has joineed up with the drow, Drazen, and the two of them head off into the forrest, talking animatedly*

*wolf returns to the edge of the forest, looking a little calmer, but alone*

* a wolf prowls the forest, the alpha male of the largest pack, seeing a few humans he leads the hunting group of cubs around the humans. He catches glimpses of his old life amoungst the humans, but he feels like he can't go back and quickly shakes off the thought*

[No that was a dream] *he growled to himself* [I was never human, humans do nothing but burn and destroy the forest]

*he lead the hunting group onwards, he couldn't forget the face in his mind no matter how hard he tried to purge the thought from his head the face kept coming back. "ALICIA!" he howled,how could he have forgotten? it had only been weeks since he came back to his pack, with the attack of Imardin poarches had taken the opportunity to start hunting wolves again, they had claimed at least 20 pelt, but he had gained each of theirs in return when he found them all one by one. Each poachers had begged for his life to some god or another as the monsterous white wolf had torn them apart. He could still see their faces in his mind, in terror as he avoided their traps with the intelligence of a ranger, and then ripped the weapons from their hands.

He should not have done it, he should not have been so mad. He knew tat he had once killed more men and he regreted that day, it was just these hunters had hurt his pride, and his darling Thena. Though his mate Thena had survived an attack, she was left weakened and he arrived moments before another of his pack had tried to win the rights of leading the pack by putting Thena out of her pain but he had arrived with seconds to spare and intervined. He had sworn before the the entire pack that he personally would hunt down the hunters and he did so with a cold blooded passion.

[Lycan was my name... Lycan Wolsey... yes that was it]. He now yearned to see Alicia's face once again, to be with her, to protect her, to see his child after it had been born. Lycan worried he was too late, he had no clue how long he had been gone for, Lycan knew he had to hurry. Finding a deer he set the cubs on it, after some work they caught it and Lycan dragged it back to the main pack.

[Thena, I shall try and be back sooner]

Lycan nosed her then bounded off, his powerful muscles being puched to their limits taking him to the edge of the forest*

*a black, dragonlike creature flies above the forest. A man is sat atop it. When he sees the forest the man shudders and straightens his back.*

[Man] Yes. This is what calls. Do you hear it, brother? So much life. So much life and it is barely balanced by death. There are wolves there. That. That seems...important, somehow. Set down, my brother. Set down in that clearing.

*The dragon-thing alights in a large grassy clearing on the top of a hill in the centre of the forest. It crows loudly, and the forest falls silent around it.*

*The man slides off the dragon-thing's back. He touches the grass beneath his feet and it withers at the brush of his bare skin.*

[Man] So much life. So little death. That. That will be changed. *He smiles up at the dragon, a sick twisting of his mouth that leaves his eyes cold and hollow still.*

But first. First, we sleep. Tomorrow is a big day.

*He lies down on the grass and it browns beneath him. Immediately he is asleep. The dragon lies down beside him, and death creeps out around it like an infected boil. It shivers and the appearance of stone covers its skin.*

*The two creatures are quiet in sleep. But death spreads slowly around them. Creatures flee in anticipation of this destruction. It is slow; their power is lessened in unconsciousness. But this, obviously, has to be stopped.*

*Three figures venture into the doomed forrest*

*each is mounted, and their steeds slowly cross the threshold*

Lycan: *whisper* here dragon */*

*the dragon wakes up with a roar, sending death around it like a web. The man is stirred awake, and he jumps to his feet.*

[Man] I sense them. I sense them!

*Alicia dismounts and creeps through the trees, her mount flys off*

Lycan: Stay here abbot you'll only get hurt
*jumps from his horse and his stalf slithers into his hand like a snake*

[Abbot] I think you'll be needing my help, child. Right now, I feel stronger than I have in many a year. I am truly needed here. *he dismounts slowly, achingly, and retrieves a few items from his pack.*

[Abbot] These should help in banishing the demon. The man, I know not about.

***

[man] They're coming! They're coming!

*the dragon launches into the air, swooping low over the trees. As its underbelly brushes the treetops, the trees wither and collapse, dead.*

*a phoenix flies across the other side of the forest. The woman riding it sees the dragon.*

Ninian, down, down. Don't let it see us.

*Ninian alights on the forest floor, and Elandra dismounts.*

Go. Don't let yourself be in danger whilst waiting for me. Do what you can.

*she runs off in the direction of that clearing...*

Lycan: stay at your own risk then....
*runs towards the clearing*

*Alicia walks calmly into the clearing holding her bells*
hmmm... nice work.... shame you seem to have missed something.

*the man whirls to face Alicia*

[Man] I...I know you.

*the Abbot stays silent, falling back behind Lycan*

***

*Elandra creeps into the clearing the opposite side of the man. She sees Alicia immediately and stiffens, hiding her face with her cowl, then carries on approaching.*

***

*the dragon roars and swoops over the forest again. Birds try to avoid it but fall to the ground, dead.*

yes I thought you might
and I beleve that you have my dragon....
not a very... devoted servent I must say

*a ginger tabby cat wraps itself around Alicia's anckles seemingly amune to the death spreding around it*

it is nice... though i must ask... why not the city?

*Lycan looks fixedly at the person in the clearing and leens on his stalf*

[Man] This place called us. There are...there is someone here important to me. Something. *he looks confused* Wolf. There is a she-wolf here.

*Elandra walks slowly around the edge of the clearing, edging towards the man. She sees Lycan and halts for a moment before carrying on.*

Alicia: ah yes... the she wolf...
*looks annoyed*
I'd almost forgoten about that...


lycan: *whispers* my shadow */*

*the man's head whips around at the sound of Lycan's voice*

[Man] You...you are me? But not me?

*he pulls his hood back. Indeed, he looks similar to Lycan, but his eyes are hollow dark pits and his face is twisted. He is truly the Caretaker's shadow.*

*Elandra pulls back and pushes her own cowl back to get a better look at the Man. She bites her lip to stop herself from gasping out loud.*

*The Abbot murmurs into Lycan's ear.*

[Abbot] This man we cannot cope with right now. We need preparation, more information. Someone must bring the dragon to us, and then we can destroy it. This shadow can wait.*