The catalyst forest

The demon shadow winged wolf flew along the endless sea of trees below him. Hoping the cover of night would blend him into the darkness from peering eyes below. He was not going to be stopped this time. He was sick of being forced to fight the angels. The pure ones as he called them. Sick of being told he cannot leave. Sick of not being able to control his own destiny. That was going to end tonight. A sharp call of a bird echoed through the night to Valkorien’s dismay. He had been spotted. He whirled around to see a demon eagle burst forth from the trees and hurtle toward him, talons reaching. But then from above came a figure, its form blended into the darkness around it and it launched upon the eagle, sending them both downward to the trees below. Valko banked back around, his heart racing, it would only be a matter of time before others pursued him. He flew up further into the midnight sky, beating his wings faster as he flew to the west. Then below him stretched a twisting, glittering river and as he passed over it a wave of calm washed over him. That must be the dividing line between both sides. He howled in triumph, knowing that the demons wouldn’t follow him now and he flew on. To a place he had seen in his dreams. Where a voice always beckoned him to come. For another fifteen minutes he flew before it emerged out of the night before him. Qurade the angel’s tree. He spiralled down into its topmost branches and settled down in a large fork and curled up comfortably. He would go down and introduce himself in the morning, knowing that the angels would be sleeping. He gazed at the mountain range in the distance and slowly fell asleep; wondering what was at its peak.

A white glow dimly lit the darkness from the forest's depths. A curvaceous feline figure gracefully easing and weaving through tree and fern made her way East to the borderline of the Catalyst. She was oblivious to all in her hovering trance and her wings, largely spanned, flapped slowly. She looked ghostly from a distance. In fact, she was ghostly, her dress faded into nothing and her eyes glowed a luminescent deep indigo, and her wings failed to swerve aside from colliding with trees. She was in an unusual trance and became apart with the spiritual world.
She hung in the air, moving lifelessly as if the life given to a marionette puppet had ceased and her puppeteer moved her body with no meaning.
A glow of warm fire came from the distance. Up ahead from the Qurade within its twisted and curved branches. Her eyes dialated as they leered towards the west. towards the Qurade. She stretched her wings and paws before standing tall as her anthro self.
Something about this warm fire was different, yet ever so familiar.
She began glowing again as she moved towards it. Slowly, her tail recoiling as she paced herself towards the warm fire.
"Nyyrikkia..."

Valkorien started awake as the loud call of a bird in the higher branches announced the new morning. He sat bolt upright, curling his wings around himself and looked out to the chasm in the distance where the sun rose. Why had anybody never been able to cross it? What prevented it? They maybe another world out there. The demon shadow winged wolf sat there watching the sun rise, flinging his wings up around his eyes. It hurt! They had never before seen such brightness before, always awake during the night and sleeping in the day. As his eyes accustomed to the light he looked out at the sun in wonder and stepped forward almost falling off the branch. He sat back down again, now looking out at the mountain range where the night was receding, listening to the noises of the awakening angels below in the tree. He knew that it was time. He jumped out of the branches and soared down to the ground in a spiral motion, looking in at the windows as he passed. He saw rooms with scrolls, an eating area and many more. He landed on the soft earth gracefully and shifted to anthro to make it look like he was a less of a threat. He walked to the door but stopped. He closed his eyes and extended his aura. There were many life forms behind the door but there was another…One that approached rapidly through the forest. Heading for the angel’s home. His pace quickened. It was another angel.

"Come home..." Aleetha whispered into the air, sending messages to the strange presence. She wandered through the forest now, still dark, and she, still glowing. Her arms spread out with her wings and the thermal imaging around her increased. She gave a ghostly smile as she felt it coming closer, and her eyes shone a bright purple before ceasing their glow.
"Come home...."

Valkorien twisted away as the ghostly eerie voice swept through his mind. What was it? What did it mean come home? He had no home. He shuddered and fought his demon side telling him to run or fight back, instead he sent an aura wave back.
"Who are you?"

Aleetha fell to the ground in a kneel and her wings cloaked over her body and from sheathed gauntlets she pulled out her Jahar and held them at the ready under her wings.
"I know you..." Her thoughts whispered and pictures of Nyyrikkia's eyes filled her pray's mind.
Her Jahar disappeared with a flutter of her wings and she dimmed her aura glow.

Valkorien started to panic as a pair of eyes flashed through his mind. What were they? Why did they make him feel fear and yet safety? "No wait! I don't know you! I don't know anyone here! Please stop!" He whined, his fur on his body raising up as the aura glow of the angel dimmed. He could barely sense it now.

Aleetha rid of her aura glow and her glowing eyes faded into a deep violet, glaring in a deathly stare at the creature near her position. She crouched and closed her eyes, sending more mental pictures of the dragon she knew, of battles foreseen between the two clans.
"Nyyrikkianna..." She whispered.
Her feathered wings flared and she began to glow again after her head swivvled around in glance at the forest's depths and then she took flight after leaping from her crouch and she jumped high, above the treetops.

Valkorien stepped back, pressing himself into the tree, shaking his head; trying to get rid of the images that flashed through his mind. Ferocious battles between the two sides and of a beautiful dragoness. He gripped his head with his paws. Snapping his wings open, he jumped to the skies and shot upwards back up into the top of Qurade and stood ready for the angel to come. Maybe he should run. He didnt belong here.

A pair of eyes that looked like hot coals moved through the thick darkness of the forest, casting a dim glow on the gnarled woody growths. There were no footsteps to be heard, only soft breathing. The dark stallion moved like a phantom, toward the domain of the angels. Seeking one who had strayed there, who didn't belong there. Zuhalen Shadowfire knew why, and he wasn't going to let it happen.

The angel hung there like a lifeless puppet and her eyes glowed. Close by her was the presence.
"Valko..." She whispered into his mind with an eerie, pure voice. She started moving, towards him. She knew who it was now, she knew where he truly was meant to go.
"Valko..."

Valkorein jumped. It knew his name! He started to tremble and he shifted back to his feral form and crouched down low in the branches, his tail curling around his back leg. Even though he didnt want to admit it, he was scared.

Nyssa frolicked through the water of the central river dividing territories when she saw first valko, then a stallion pass by her."hmm why did valko cross the river? Unless..." the mouse bent the light around her so no one would see as she followed the two demons

"Valko, Come closer... let me protect you..." The voice echoed.

Zuhalen sensed a presence as he passed, and paused briefly looking around him, but saw no one. Then he moved on. He was getting closer to Valko, he could sense that also. He didn't dare extend his aura to find out for sure; he needed Valko to remain unaware of him. He had to find out just what he thought he was doing.

Valko snorted. Yeah thats right, make him scared out of his wits then say that she was going to protect him. He unfurled his wings and flew cautiously toward the presence.

Nyssa giggled as she followed the demons, she always felt so childlike and innocent when she was invisible. "oop look out here comes Nyssa" she giggled again and her demon side snorted at her in her head.

Valko's ears pressed to his head as he wearily flew forward.

I know your creator...Come closer... from harm... those who follow you aren't your friends...... quickly...... quickly..." She sunk into her most sacred of Kict'aoi tree's and waited for Valko and soon enough, to her close friend, she extended her warmfire aura, reaching fo Nyssa.
"I found him.."

He abruptly felt the aura of an angel, and recognized her at once. His breath smouldered from his nostrils and his eyes glowed crimson as he shrank back a few steps. Then he sensed the other presence, the one he was looking for, more sharply than before. It was high above him and away to the left, flying. Lifting his broad neck and snorting sparks into the sky, he summoned his dragon-like wings of shadow, their firey veins running through them, and leaped into the sky.

Valkorein flew faster over the trees. She knew his creator! She knew where he was from! He started to glide downward toward her presence in the tree.

Zuhalen arced in a wide blazing circle around Valkorien, cutting him off from the angel, then suddenly forced his own presence into the middle of the circle.
Valkorien, why are you here? he sent the words rumbling through Valko's mind as an eerie echoing wave, continuing to circle him in the pure form of his flame essence.

Zuhalen!!!
Valkorein flared out his wings, halting him before he hit the fire.

These arrogant ones have no use for you, the fire stallion said softly and silkily. You know where you belong, where you are welcome.