"Tala, Onyx is okay right? This place isn't really, uhm, haunted right.'' Helix whispered while anxiously looking about trying to avoid looking at the graphic paintings hanging on the walls. I didn't know how to respond, the further we went the easier it was to believe the stories that the village mzee told. I was about to tell him that when I heard him shriek and suddenly he ran into me cowering beside me.

"What! What happened! What did you see!'' I ordered. Shivering he lifted a trembling paw and pointed to a painting that hung above a pedestal in a small room to the right. Narrowing my eyes I padded forward until I stood in front of the painting. Suddenly as I saw the entire painting I wished I hadn't asked. I squeezed my eyes shut, a rush of fear and nauseousness flooded through me as I realized what it showed. A vicious battles aftermath hung before me. Buildings and trees had been trampled, many ablaze with dancing flames and hundreds of creatures and humans alike lay limp on the ground but none as numerous as the hundreds of slaughtered shifters that littered the ground, shifters were humans like Helix and I and the rest of our village who had an animal form they could shift into. This wasn't a normal battle. There was no honor found here. This was cold blooded murder. The animals and humans had been tossed to the ground like ragdolls and several had missing limbs that were found several feet away from the body. Bones and skulls had been brutally ripped from their bodies and lay next to them. The ground was bathed in layers of blood. As I stared at the horrific scene I could almost smell the blood and the smoke, hear the tormented screams and the trees crashing to the ground. The thud of bodies hitting the ground , paw steps skidding on the blood bathed earth. The sinister chuckle of some creature. A weak tug on my foreleg snapped me back to the present and I turned to see Helix with his paw resting on my leg and one of his tails pointing shakily to the pedestal. Given the graphic depictions of the painting I wasn't sure I wanted to see it but I stepped closer anyways, despite my misgivings. As beams of moonlight fell onto the pedestal my stomach lurched. On the pedestal, still as bloody as the day it had been ripped from the poor owners body lay the skull of a shifter. Placed next to it was a talon of presumably a phoenix and the hand of a human. Draped over the skull were two long phoenix feathers that had probably been ripped from its body as the shifter was shifting as the brilliant flames faded to creamy skin half way down. I choked on a whimper and backed away from the bloody pedestal. Eyes darting about the room as though the creature who had done this could still be here. Fur bristling and tails quivering I backed out of the room. Helix followed eyes wide.

"Tala, w- what was that!'' He stammered, glancing nervously over his shoulder at the room.

''I don't know Helix. I don't know and I don't want to know." I whispered swallowing another whine. Wishing desperately that I hadn't come I straightened my stance trying to calm my trembling limbs. " We need to find the others, this mansion isn't safe." I paused and Helix, as though he had read my thoughts, went still.

"You don't think that was Onyx right!?" Helix pressed himself against the wall spine arched and eyes slitted. Guilt instantly flooded over me and I tentatively stepped closer to him. Resting my muzzle on his shoulder I murmured " I can't promise that Onyx is fine.." Helix stiffened under me and I quickly continued "but she is stronger then she lets on, she can keep herself safe until we find her. That skull and the limbs and feathers couldn't be hers they were dull with age and the blood was long dried and besides Onyx shifts to a kitsune not a phoenix." stepping back I nodded to Helix and held out a paw. He hesitated and then wrapped a paw around my paw, he lifted his head slowly and the sharp pain and desperation in his gaze was a kick in my gut. I opened my mouth to speak but before a single word came out a terrified shriek came from the hall where Lupin and Stellar had gone. Without need for words we both took off. My mind raced with horrid, twisted thoughts of what could have happened. Whos scream was that? It didn't sound like Stellar or Onyx. Lupin never screams like that. Is there someone else here?! Are the others alright? Please let them be ok! Another scream sliced through the air, tearing down the hall we spun a corner from where the sound had come and skidded to a stop. Stellar was standing with her back towards us in the middle of the hall. Her sides were heaving and shaking and she kept whimpering. Walking softly to her side I gasped when I saw her face. Her normal spring green eyes were dark. A swirling mist seemed to fill them and as I watched her eyes flickered and lost all color. Seemingly black bottomless pits filled them space where her eyes had been. She stilled and then dropped to the floor. Fear shot through me and I sat down watching her trying to find a sign of life. A sigh of relief escaping me as I saw her sides gently rising and falling with her breathing. Lifting my gaze I stared blankly at Helix. He was staring down at Stellar his eyes filled with confusion and terror. When he finally looked up his eyes were dull with sorrow.

"Tala... what's happening. Ar-are we going to make it out of here safe... where is Lupin and Onyx..?" his voice trailed off and try as I might I knew I wouldn't be able to comfort him. There was no way I could lie to him, my own terror clear as day. I stood and looked down the hall trying to see what Stellar was seeing. There were just doors and old faded wallpaper. A small table stood under a painting and a glass dish lay on top of the table. After the last painting I wasn't sure I wanted to know what it showed. At the far end of the hall the carpet was kicked up as though someone had tried to run off in a panic. Nudging Helix we walked slowly to the end of the hall. Carefully avoiding the painting and table we stopped at the end of the hall and looked at a dark doorway yawning from another hall. Claws scored through the floor around the door and when Helix held his paw with claws unsheathed next to it he froze. " Tala.. these are Lupinś claw marks." I felt my ears flatten as I stepped up to him, he was right the marks had been made Lupin. I lifted my muzzle and sniffed the air, Lupins scent was fresh but there was no other scent. Leaning towards the doorway I narrowed my eyes trying to make sense of the shadows in the room. Helix pushed past me, grabbing a ball of fluorescent moss from his satchel gently in his maw he illuminated the room. Soft blue green light filled the room. Following Helix I looked around. The claw marks stopped at the doorway but they had seemed to lead into the room. Lupins fear scent filled the air but there wasn't any hint of him being there. There was no furniture, no torches either. Keeping my nose to the floor I padded along the walls looking for any clue as to where the stubborn furball had gone. Helix hissed my name and I looked up, standing in the doorway stood Lupin. There wasn't a scratch on him, he stood tall with his shoulders squared.

words:

mzee- elder