Stella:

  Everyone had that grim look on their faces.

  The sandy streets of Pantsti were virtually devoid of life, almost like it was past midnight, even though the Sun had already risen. Other than guards, hundreds of Wolf pups scurried in every direction, occupying every corner, murmuring and wondering about their parents who joined Chikukei's evacuation. Stella's heart was crushed by twelve tons of steel, blaming herself further as she basked in the low-morale atmosphere that saturated the village.

  Still, there was one reason why she hadn't sunk deeper into despair.

  "They'll be alright!" Lien walked beside her, paw firmly clenched in hand. "They're antsy every time their parents go on missions. I still feel that way sometimes."

  Lien's unwavering optimism quelled Stella's nerves somewhat. Still, her worries clung to her mind like a parasite, draining her energy and sanity until she was left an empty husk. "Well, you don't need to feel that anymore, " she squeezed her girlfriend's paw. "Not with me here."

  Her tail swished frenetically. "I know!" She giggled. "Besides, we can't mope around when the Knight tasked us with protecting the village in his absence!" She started to hop with excess energy and resolve. "Can you imagine if we find those Weasels again?! I want to give them a piece of my knuckle sandwich!" She punched the air with her free paw.

  Stella withered at the thought. Sometimes, she would picture the kunai still lodged in her gut, a red puddle forming on the floor. Of course, it only lasted a few seconds, but the reminiscence was unpleasant, nonetheless.

  "You know where should we be going?" Lien beamed. "The-" Her ears jerked backward as her milky eyes widened. "Wait. Something's going on."

  "What?" Stella's hold on the pup's paw tightened, something she only noticed a few seconds later.

  Lien scrunched her nose. "A bunch of Saniya signatures are all running and gathering in a single point. Isn't that..." She made a short jump. "Yes! It's Hōkō's glade!"

  The Human stared at her for a while. "And that's... good? Bad?"

  "Could go either way," Lien answered matter-of-factly. "Let's go!"

  Before Stella could interject, Lien dashed through multiple narrow streets. At the same time, her girlfriend was untethered to the ground and flying like a kite. The Human was unbothered by it, getting used after the last four times it had transpired. If anything, she felt incredible, almost like a superhero!

  ...Until her face collided against Lorinth's flower shop when the pup suddenly turned, leaving a sizeable crater on its structure. Thank goodness Locci made them acquaintances.

  Eventually, Lien ceased at the entrance of the Wolf elder's clearing, much to the Human's relief. Stella already closed her eyes in anticipation, fully aware of the sand bed that expected her upon landing.

  "Well, what do you know? Anakin was right." Stella sardonically remarked, her voice muffled.

  Lien's ear twitched "Who?"

  "Forget it." She stood up, using earth magic to clean her face effortlessly. Her hold on that Saniya route has refined substantially since the Spiders incident. In fact, cleaning dust from her body without using her hands was one of the first exercises in elemental spells Hōkō instructed her to do. "Can you hear anything over there yet?"

  She shook her head. "Not with so many voices at once. Geez, what's even happening there..."

  Stella stretched her neck to the sides. "You think they'll allow us to eavesdrop?"

  "Why wouldn't they?" Lien asked innocently.

  "Because grown-ups tend to think less of us?" Stella crossed her arms.

  "Oh. That." She shrugged. "Eh. You never know, Stella. Maybe they need our input for something."

  "I doubt that."

  Stella froze.

  They stood before Hōkō, surrounded by more elderly wolves, each completely different from the other. Stella knew they were the Council of Elders, which was comprised of two females and two males, excluding the tree-dweller himself.

  The first female was similar to Tarb but had a lighter brown coat tone. She wore a heliotrope-colored robe with white sandals.

  The second one, next to the bulldog, had the same general features as the twins Euraidd and Hufen but with a red fox color on her fur. She wore a 1950s vintage dress with a turquoise top and a dark blue shade on her skirt.

  The male in the middle possessed thick, curly white fur and a lean build akin to an anthropomorphized poodle, who was wearing a cobalt jacket with a white shirt underneath, beige pants, and a red headscarf.

  At his side stood the smallest of the elders, characterized further by his distinctive dome-shaped skull, large, erect ears, big, expressive eyes, and the constant shaking at the slightest inconvenience. His fur was fawn-colored, and he wore humble, indigo-blue overalls with a yellow shirt underneath. He looked like he was constantly choking because of the turtleneck.

  On the opposite side from the bulldog stood the most peculiar of Wolves - his torso was elongated and almost sausage-shaped, not to mention the short, tiny members that somehow supported his weight on two legs. His coat was bitch black, and he wore the ugliest, lime-green sweater Stella's eyes ever laid on.

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  This diversified group was accompanied by a small party of Wolf and Crow guards, most likely all who didn't join the evacuation.

  The elders, predominantly Hōkō, explained Yuki-onna's deception - that she didn't alter the memory itself, just the perception of time inside it, which completely flew under the oldest's radar, much to his deep regret.

  The floppy-eared elder elaborated. "The sorceress has turned not just the entirety of Chikukei but most of our forces into hostages. According to the guards stationed at the border, she has erected a massive ice wall tracing perfectly the targeted territory."

  The curly-furred Wolf interjected. "We cannot send any more troops from anywhere. The Yūrei used one of our captains' communication device to threaten the lives of the civilians and soldiers she had frozen if she felt any foreign Saniya that could pose a threat. She sent the message through every Dragon's Guard channel, including the queen's."

  The bulldog-like elder grunted. "Slippery little wench. Queen Malka would've wiped the floor with her otherwise."

  The poodle frowned. "Let's keep the discussion friendly to the child, Thok."

  "Suck a bear's penis, Hakari." She growled. "Hundreds of our own are under threat of DEATH! Forgive me if my mouth is unclean today!"

  Hakari rolled his eyes. "Wonder when it's ever clean..."

  The more robust Wolf attempted to lunge at her fellow elder, only to be wrapped by the pego tree's root.

  "Every single time with you two." Hōkō's expression put his impatience on full display. "If you're here to squabble, then go elsewhere!"

  Eventually, Thok stopped resisting, prompting the tree-dweller to set her free. Lien quickly held Stella's hand, the gravity of the situation crashing upon her.

  The sausage-looking Monoke cleared his throat, looking at the shaky, wide-eyed canine beside him with concern. "The point is, Yuki-onna's condition to stop her madness is-"

  "Me." Stella interrupted, her voice dripping with frustration. "I know it's me. Who else could be?!" She clenched her fists, her eyes downcast, trying not to shed a tear. "You want me to surrender myself to her, right?"

  "WHAT?!" Lien's fur coat bristled. "No! No! NO! I won't let you!" Her hold on the Human's hand tightened as her entire body quivered. "Hōkō, PLEASE-"

  Hōkō shook his head. "Wait, Lien! We're not-"

  "I'LL DO IT!!!" Stella shouted at the top of her lungs, unable to stand any more discourse. "You want me to go to that icy whore? Fine! I'll do it!"

  Lien opened her mouth in disbelief, yet no other word came out. Even the tiny elder stopped his involuntary shaking to stare deeply into her eyes.

  After twenty seconds of unadulterated silence, Hōkō spoke softly. "Stella? I appreciate the sentiment, but surrendering to-"

  "Oh, and here's the thing." She squeezed Lien's paw as she straightened her posture and voice. "I'm not going to surrender to that freak. I'm going to confront her."

  That only perpetuated the void of sound in the glade, save for the rustling leaves and chirping birds.

  "You're gonna... fight her?" Lien asked, halting the stillness.

  "Yup!" Stella nodded.

  Suddenly, a swarm of voices erupted from the elders' mouths. The chaos and discourse elevated to unimaginable heights, much to Lien's discomfort, forcing herself to let go of Stella's hand to muffle her ears.

  "What difference does it make if she fights her or surrenders willingly?!" the smallest elder questioned.

  "What about her murdering our soldiers in frustration, Wyll?!" The black golden retriever snarled.

  "She's not strong enough to pose a threat to the Icy Sorceress, and you know it, Versig!"

  Thok howled, attracting her fellow elders' attention. "We shouldn't be playing into Yuki-onna's hands! You call yourselves Wolves!?"

  "And how do you propose that, when any Monoke with strong enough Saniya will be enough to trigger her?" Hakari calmly asked.

  Thok shut her mouth.

  "ENOUGH!" Hōkō's hoarse yet powerful growl rippled through the discord and quelled the chattering Wolves. "Can't you see we're discussing the life of a CHILD?! She's a Human child, but a good-hearted one, nonetheless!"

  Wow. Stella felt... flattered by those words. Only Asra and Lien vouched for her with such passion.

  Nevertheless, she knew there was only one path to ensure everyone else's safety. Punch an ice bitch, or die trying. It wouldn't be the first time she held so little regard for her fate, but it had a high chance to be the last.

  "I made up my mind, guys." She stepped forward, puffing her chest and resting her hands on her hips to project as much confidence as possible. "I appreciate how you sheltered me through this month, but I can't, in good conscience, allow all those Monoke to suffer while I'm here." She raised a fist at her master. "Don't worry about me, you old coot! From the looks of it, it won't take long until we meet on the other side!"

  Hōkō remained speechless, though Stella swore his eyes had an unusual glint.

  "Well, we should capitalize on the girl's goodwill before she changes her mind!" Wyll's eyes darted between his fellow elders.

  Hakari nodded. "Besides, Yuki-onna will fly directly towards her when she senses the Human's Saniya. The sooner the Icy Sorceress gets what she wants or is taken down, the better."

  The elongated Wolf raised his tiny paw. "I think it's too soon for a verdict."

  "Agreed, Schie," Versig interjected. "What about you, Thok?"

  The anthropomorphic bulldog had her arms crossed, pouting. "Since we have no better options, I suppose we can go the easiest route..."

  The black-furred golden retriever sighed, looking at Hōkō. "I'm sorry."

  The tree-dweller didn't utter a sound, his eyes closed.

  After half a minute of silence, the puddle stepped forward, his hands clasped around his back. "A couple of guards are enough to escort you to-"

  "I'll go along with her!" Lien raised her paw.

  The elders, except Hōkō, shrieked in unison. "WHAT?!"

  "I'm going. Stella's my packmate AND girlfriend!" She slammed her fist onto her open palm. "I'm not gonna let her go alone! Nuh-uh!" She shook her head.

  Versig started to shake, her mouth agape and her eyes rivaling Wyll's as she took on a flimsy, sweet voice as if she were talking to a baby. "Lien, honey. This is too-"

  "Versig." Hakari touched her shoulder. "She's the Human packmate. Besides, one more child will hardly trigger the Yūrei to kill the hostages, and neither will she target Lien directly if we take her background into consideration."

  Her tone became even frailer. "Bu-Bu-But... Tash..."

  "I know. I know..." He gently stroked her back. "But we mustn't let fear blind us from our values."

  "E-Even if the Wolf in question terrifies us to death..." Schie reinforced half-heartedly.

  The chihuahua and the grumpy bulldog nodded as the Hōkō rolled his eyes. Geez, Captain Tash...

  "That's settled then..." Hakari straightened his posture. "Normally, we wouldn't allow a non-eira to step beyond Pantsti's territory unsupervised, especially with current events. Still, the packmate bond with the Human overrides this rule."

  Lien jumped high in the air, flinging her fist upward. "YEAH!" After she returned to the ground, she bowed respectfully at them. "I won't let you down! I'll protect Stella AND help my mom! Those bullies are DONE!"

  "I-I'm sure you will, sweetie..." The golden retriever's smile was as truthful as when Stella sold bootleg superhero merch for a few weeks. Who knew The Hulk, Pikachu, and Goku were part of a team?! I've seen weirder crossovers...

  "Wait, there's a problem," Hōkō interjected. "Yuki-onna will not accept Lien's trespassing if you go through the ice walls. She'll undoubtedly accept your 'surrender' only if you go alone."

  Lien scratched her neck as she sat down to think. "Right. If we can't go together through the ice wall, then..."

  Stella's eyes sparkled as an idea rapidly came through. "Then..." He patted the pup on the head. "We take another route." She smirked. "I never introduced you to Anut, did I?"