Author's Note:

Thanks, friends and Miss Angie!

To the readers: I give a great thanks to each and every one of you. Please note there will be Minecraft-related items in the story, so you may want to look the items up. Also, I will have pages on Enderwolves, Netherwolves, and Foxxes in the back of the book with some character art another teacher made for me!

                 Thank you all, and please, enjoy!

   P.S. Sorry I draw like a 7-year-old. ~(￣▽￣)~

             Prologue

      The warm fireplace crackled loudly, the flames inside it dancing. Moss collapsed on the couch with a sigh. After a long day of hard mining, he had collected five Mossy Emeralds, twenty-five Iron Scraps, which were smelting in the furnace, and two Diamonds.

    “I can finally rest.” Moss moaned tiredly. He grabbed a nearby moss pillow and rested his head on it. Moss had almost fallen asleep when a loud, shattering sound eerily filled the room.

    Moss sat up quickly and yelped, “Who’s there?” A black figure lunged towards him from the darkness, knocked him out, and everything went black.

    “Caught him, Mom.” a female voice growled in triumph. The walkie-talkie in her leather belt vibrated.

    “Great job, my little apprentice. Soon, our law-following friends will be so busy we can commit crimes all over the city!” an older female’s voice replied. The two cackled maniacally as the sun rose over the mountains.

Chapter 1

    Wolfie quickly bounded up the towering mountain. She was so excited for the mining trip today! The wind wildly whipped her hair(fur?) all around. Her magenta shirt whistled in the wind, while her jeans squirmed. Her claws deeply dug into the thick rock. Her wings thrust her forward with each great leap, boosting her higher each flap. As she approached the quartz house on the peak, she noticed the fire in the netherrack fireplace wasn’t out, which was mysterious, because Moss was a little jumpy about his moss floor catching on fire.

    “Moss?” she called with a tinge of fear in her voice. She lightly rapped on the door. “You home?” When she knocked a tad harder, the door creaked open. Wolfie noticed the door hadn’t been double-locked. 

    Tentatively, she stepped inside, the mossy floor offering no comfort to her emotions. “Moss?” she called again. As she approached the couch, she gasped, alarmed. At the foot of the couch was a thin spilling… of blood.

Chapter 2

  “No,” she whispered. “He can’t be gone. Not yet, I need him!” As she solemnly stood up, she noticed a small rectangle of folded paper on the stone table nearby. Maybe this will tell me what’s happened to him, she thought. 

    The paper read: “ Dearest Detective, QUIT. We will cause havoc all over the city until you do, and if you want your dear friend back to you alive, you will do as we ask. Until then, we are NOT going to give him back to you.”

    Shocked, Wolfie threw the paper onto the floor.

Flying into a rage, she threw the moss pillows everywhere, scattering their contents onto the floor and accidentally shredding part of the moss carpet.

    “I… I’ll find you, whomever you are! I’ll save Moss and throw you in jail! I’ll scour the Overworld, dive into the depths of the Nether, and order the End to find him. Find YOU!” she shouted. She began to sob and curled up on the couch.

Chapter 3

    She swooped down the mountain as fast as her wings could take her. No, no, no. thudded in her mind. She approached the police station and leapt down onto the sidewalk. Wolfie barged in and barked, “Moss’s been stolen! I want a search team ender-pearling up to his house NOW!” She stomped into her office.

     As the best detective, Wolfie got the highest, largest corner office they had, with a few modifications for her. The chorus vines on the walls played eerie tunes as the wind passed them. The end stone brick floor around her creaked. The desk was covered in papers, scrolls, magazines, and a computer. The purple mat squelched under her feet. Wolfie typed as fast as lightning, making ads in the newspaper about Moss’s kidnapping, ads all over Google, Wikipedia, and Amazon, and she started printing out posters using the large printer in one of the corners.

    “I hope people can find him,” she moaned. “I don’t know what I’d do without one of my best friends.” She spun in her gaming chair for a moment. “I have to call Foxx… she’ll be so worried if I don’t tell her!” Wolfie zipped open a pocket of the backpack she'd been wearing and yanked her phone out.

     Wolfie’s phone had a chorus fruit flower decal, made for her by her boyfriend, Nether. They were both once Enderwolves with were-wolf powers, but he moved to the Nether and became a Netherwolf, while she killed the Ender Dragon and became Queen of the End, earning many additional powers. The phone itself was a metallic magenta with a clear case, which the decal was on. She speed-dialed Foxx with a worried look on her face.

    “Hello? Wolfie, what’s going on?” Foxx asked.

    “Moss’s been stolen!” Wolfie wailed. “We were supposed to go to the lush caves on a mining trip today, but he wasn’t home, his door was unlocked, and I found blood and a note telling me whoever kidnapped him wasn’t going to give him back!” She swallowed a sob.

    “Calm down,” Foxx replied. “Tell me the whole story.”

    Chapter 4

    “Wow,” whispered Foxx after Wolfie was done informing her, “that was a long story. Are you ok?”

    “Yeah.” Wolfie replied, swallowing down a sob. “I just… I can only hope he’s ok…” She wiped a tear from her eye as she spun around in her gaming chair again, the way she did when she was upset or nervous. “Oh no, I forgot about the posters I was printing! I’ll call you back in a bit, Foxx! Bye!” She quickly hung up.

    Sure enough, the papers were all over the room, spiraling in the chilly breeze. She ricocheted off the walls and swiftly caught all of them. What should I do now? Wolfie thought. Maybe I could herp with Nether! He’d certainly enjoy that, especially if we had a picnic there! But then she thought, But I need to find Moss! If I herp, I won’t be able to assemble a search team! 

 All of a sudden, a knock on the wall jolted Wolfie out of her thoughts. She spun around with a Glock-17 in her hand. “Potato!” she yelped. “Don’t scare me like that!”

    “Sorryyyyyy,” he complained. “Jeez, what’s going on here? Wolfie, what are all these posters?”

    “Moss’s been stolen, and of course you almost scare me into the void!” she snapped. “Where’s Peanut? I need you and him to tape these posters up. Also, grab Waffle and send her in my office, NOW!”

    “Fineeee,” whined Potato, “but what’s in it for us?”

    “Some of my chorus cookies,” Wolfie taunted, “but you’d better behave. Meaning, NO drawing mustaches, beards, or any weird stuff on the posters, NO inappropriate jokes on there, and NO telling Moss about this after we find him. Deal?”

    “Deal!” Potato exclaimed. He rushed downstairs to find Peanut.

    Maybe I should take a break, Wolfie thought. I haven’t seen my friends in forever, nor have I hung out with them. Should I tell Nether about this? Should I call him over and force him to help me? Never mind, maybe I should herp with him first, then during our picnic I’ll break the news. I just hope it’s not too late to find Moss…

    Chapter 5

     Later that afternoon, Nether and Wolfie flew to a grassy field with many boards, hollow tree stumps, and many holes in the ground. It was their favorite place to herp! While they were flying, Nether noticed Wolfie fiddling with her new snake tongs. Made with azure silver, it was incredibly durable and unable to snap or break. He pressed his claws to his temples and tried to read her mind. Wolfie was incredibly good at blocking him out, so Nether hoped he could penetrate the barrier.

    Should I tell him now? Wolfie thought. If I tell him now, will he think I’m in love with Moss? I don’t want to make him feel bad or feel I don’t like him anymore. Argh, what do I do?  

    “Tell me what about Moss?” Nether blurted. He quickly shot his hand(paw?) up to his mouth, but it was too late. Wolfie had heard him.

 “Were you reading my mind again?” Wolfie asked. Oh my Irene, she thought, I forgot to shield my mind! Aw, now I have to tell him… She stared at him, her purple/light indigo eyes seeming sadder than usual. Her thoughts traveled off into daydreaming, possibly to distract him.

    “It’s ok, you just seem really worried about him,” Nether replied. “I’m sorry that I read your mind again, you just seemed distracted, and I felt you needed help with whatever it is you’re worrying about.”

    “I’m sorry for not telling you sooner, Nether,” Wolfie sighed. “Moss was abducted last night. We were supposed to travel to the Lush Caves on a mining trip today, but when I arrived at his house, I found this note, and…” Her voice broke and she sobbed quietly, a tear sliding down her cheek. “I guess I was trying to forget about it by herping with you, but now I feel worse.”

    “Babe, it’s ok,” Nether soothed. “Why don’t we land and you can talk to me about it?”

    “I’d really like that, Nether.” she replied. They snuggled up under a tree as Wolfie began telling Nether what had happened.

    Chapter 6

    Moss woozily lifted his head, his vision blurry. “Who’s there?” he yelped. “Wolfie? Wolfie! Where are you?... Where am I?”

    “No where she can find you.” a voice cackled. “We’re on the roof of the Nether.”

    Moss swiveled his head to scan the area. Through the windows, he saw a reddish glow with a bedrock floor. The mysterious person was right, they were on the Nether Roof. Where he was being held was an abandoned stockhouse. “Wolfie will certainly check here for me.” Moss growled. “She’s not stupid.”

    “Like we left anything behind for her to track.” the figure sneered. “We left a single trail of the blood from your mouth—and a note.”

    “And like she’s not the greatest detective ever.” Moss retorted. “She’ll find me, somehow, someway. Did you ever turn off my tracking beacon?” He smiled and held up an End Stone bracelet with an azure silver jewel. The jewel was blinking red and shined brightly. The blinking beacon suddenly dimmed, then turned off, but then began to glow green. “She’s here, in this dimension. You’re not going to—”

He was quickly cut off as the figure knocked him out.

Chapter 7

  Foxx was so worried. Moss missing for two days? Impossible. He was a good guy, not like she like liked him or anything. Now they were in the Nether, searching for him. Oh, the Nether… Foxx resented the Nether. Her biggest fear and weakness, Withers, were found, created, and tested here. 

    Withers were dangerous beasts. Wolfie, her best friend, was weak to Wither sickness, even though she didn’t fear them. “He’d better be here, Wolfie.” Foxx mumbled. “You know I hate the Nether. No offence, Nether.”

    “It’s fine.” Nether replied. “Not many people find this dimension habitable.

    Wolfie suddenly bounded up onto a glowstone cluster and began to dig ravenously. “Moss’s here! He’s here! In the Nether!”  she announced.

    “Really?” Foxx cried. She and Nether leapt up too and began to dig as well. They quickly reached the bedrock layer, and Foxx stopped digging. She knew that Wolfie, as the Ender Queen, and also being an Enderwolf, was the only entity alive who could break bedrock.

Wolfie took a deep breath in and swiftly slashed at the block of bedrock, and it cracked and fell almost instantly. They all pulled themselves up onto the roof of the Nether, unscathed.

Chapter 8

    The bedrock floor underneath Wolfie’s feet chipped every time her claws touched it.

She thought, I hope Moss is ok. His enchanted tracking beacon works, and that’s good to know. But where is he?

    Suddenly, the trio spotted a stockhouse nearby. Her mind flashed an image: Moss slung over a man’s shoulder, blood dripping from his mouth, unconscious. “Moss.” Wolfie whispered into Moss’s mind. “Don’t worry. Me, Foxx, and Nether are here to save you.” Wolfie… Moss’s mind hummed. Wolfie…

    Wolfie opened her eyes and leapt forward, wildly running. “Wolfie! Slow down!” Foxx exclaimed, attempting to catch up.

    Wolfie ran into a glass window, fanning her wings quickly to make the debris avoid hitting her friends. “Everyone all right?” she called. Foxx and Nether mumbled yes and stood up, dazed. She squinted out the window across from them and noticed the kidnapper had vanished from view. “Darn it.” Wolfie growled. “I thought we had him this time!”

“Hey, hey, it’s ok. We’ll find Moss, my love, don’t worry.” Nether whispered soothingly. The fur on his ears shot up quickly, and so did Nether. “Moss’s somewhere, not in this dimension. I sensed him leave, but I also sensed where the thief’s portal was. It’s in a Piglin vault.”

Chapter 9

    Nether quickly tracked down the bastion. I hope his senses are right, Wolfie

thought as she dug her claws into a cluster of glowstone. As she leapt to the next bunch, she felt Nether send his love for her into her mind. A sense of warmth and internal fuzziness filled her body for a moment, then vanished.

    Thanks for trying to help, love, Wolfie thought at Nether, but it’s not working right now. I promise after all this is over, I’ll come over and snuggle with you. 

    Nether sent happiness her way, but her fear and grief instantly consumed it, and as she glanced behind her, she noticed the pain in his expression. He’s trying his best to help me, she thought, and my pain hurt him.

    And of course, Skink knew nothing about this expedition. She hadn’t told him anything, not even a word about what had happened to Moss. Eventually, she knew he’d find out, being her personal bodyguard.

    Skink constantly teased Wolfie and Nether. It was kind of annoying, but also kind of cute. Skink would crash their movie nights, follow them home after work, and even occasionally tail them (with them noticing!). Wolfie missed her little half-brother.

    “We’re here.” Nether announced. “Look!” He pointed down below him, and sure enough, an intact bastion was revealed. Ruins of bastions used to exist, but after Nether became ruler after defeating three Withers, the ruins became different buildings such as hospitals, blacksmith shops, armories, and more. “This is where the Piglins store all their gold, and you can actually obtain a vault slot.” he added.

    “So which slot are we trying to find?” Wolfie asked tentatively.

“Unfortunately, love, the most secure one. Vault 713.”

Chapter 10

    Poor Wolfie was worried sick. First, she let the bad guy escape, and now she knew they escaped through the one and only impenetrable vault, impossible to break into.

    Nether felt terrible, letting her know that. Pain, grief, sorrow, and worry clouded her thoughts, gifting him a mighty migraine. I wish I hadn’t told her about Vault 713. he thought bitterly.  It made her worry more, and it’s all my fault.

    Nether and Foxx landed behind Wolfie as she approached the Nether National Bank, also known as NNB by the shy piglins. Armored Hoglins circled the bank on patrol, their pearly-white horns glistening malevolently. 

    As Nether followed Wolfie, he caught a Hoglin staring maliciously at him. He rudely thought at it, You do know I’m the Nether King, right? and entered the bank, tail swishing angrily.

    Nether headed for the largest and tallest desk, with a strong, formidable Piglin sitting on the golden chair (in Nether’s opinion, it was a chair; Piglins would think of it as a throne.). 

    “Nether!” the Piglin boomed. “For what do we owe the visit?” Customers scattered at shorter desks swiveled their heads to glance his Majesty.

“Well, Goldglare,” Nether replied in his royal tone, “I need to pay a visit to the Enchanted Portal.” The customers gasped. 

    The Enchanted Portal was in many ancient myths, prophecies, legends, visions, and many more premonition-related subjects. Not many knew the Portal still existed; it was thought to have been destroyed years ago. 

    “If you don’t mind me asking, why?” Goldglare asked. “Can’t you take a normal Nether Portal?”

    “Why ask? His Majesty doesn’t need to share his royal business.” Wolfie retorted. Goldglare growled threateningly as a response.

    “Sorry about my girlfriend.” Nether replied quickly. “One of her best friends, Moss, was recently kidnapped, and the thief took him on the Roof. We found them, but they got away. I sensed them use the Enchanted Portal to escape. By chance, did anyone use the Portal today?”

    “Yeah… some dude used it. Black silk clothing with a ninja mask, leather boots, and some sunglasses coverin’ up his eyes.” Goldglare informed them. “He claimed you sent him.”

    “There’s your culprit, love.” Nether whispered as Wolfie rested her head down on his shoulder. “Thanks for the info, Goldglare. We really appreciate it.” Foxx silently nodded behind them.

    Goldglare wished them the best of luck and gifted them a flamesilk lantern, produced by the finest craftsmen. They all gave their thanks and slipped down a hidden tunnel, leading to the Enchanted Portal.

    Chapter 11

     Moss’s mind tingled. Earlier, as he was slipping into unconsciousness, Wolfie spoke in his mind. 

    Moss. she’d thought to him, Don’t worry. Me, Foxx, and Nether are here to save you.

    Wolfie… he’d thought. Wolfie… don’t come… it’s dangerous… run… Moss wished he could’ve warned her about the dangers to come. 

    When he was coming to wherever he was now, all he could remember was a mask over his nose and mouth, streaming sleep gases into his lungs, as they walked through a large temple. The walls were all obsidian, all floors dark-oak-wood. The last part about this place that he could remember was a magic barrier, constantly shifting colors.

    Ashes and soot fogged his vision. All he knew was he was dangling over lava, wrapped in chains. His clothes were tattered, his shoes had fallen victim to the lava, and his hair was dreaded.

    Blackness surrounded him as he weakly croaked, “Help.” Darkness enveloped his body as his mind screamed, WOLFIE!

    In no time, he was unconscious.

Chapter 12

        Foxx stayed silent as they slithered through the tunnel, leading to the portal that would take them home. Finally, she thought. We’re finally going home.

 She glanced at Nether, who was giving her a little frown. Righttt, she thought, I forgot you could read minds. Sorry about that, I’m just not that fond of the Nether.

    Nether smiled, as if to suggest, It’s fine, I’ve heard that thought before. 

    They continued down the tunnel, occasionally stopping to investigate random niches in the walls. Foxx’s night vision potion helped her to locate occasional snacks for her—small glowing fruits growing off the vines in the niches. 

    Wolfie, however, collected many of the fruits (Glow berries, Foxx remembered wistfully. Moss’s favorite.) using magic and made them into a salad with chorus fruits, tomatoes, green apples, ferns, a custom dressing, and croutons. The dish was topped with rosemary, and Wolfie was kind enough to share her salad with Foxx and Nether.

    Once they arrived, Foxx realized why so many legends had been created with the Enchanted Portal in the background.

    The towering Portal had a Nether Brick base and top, with Crimson Wood trapdoors for the sides. Most portals’ colors were a deep purple, but this one was fiery, like lava. Bits of purple spiraled occasionally, popping up vibrantly.

    Nervously, Foxx strided through the portal and exited in... a temple?

    Chapter 13

    Potato was worried about his boss and friend, Wolfie. It had been a couple days since she left for the Nether (With other friends, his mind whispered.). He didn’t trust that no-good Netherwolf with one of his besties!

    Potato had briefly met Nether once, at Wolfie’s 16th birthday party. Nether seemed dangerous, mysterious, timid (Ish, Potato admitted to himself. Timid-ish.), and overall, untrustworthy. 

    He’d even spied on Nether and Wolfie a few times, until one night they vanished to the movies, and Potato couldn’t follow them there. He’d given up his habit, but it didn’t stop him from spying on Peanut and Waffle! 

    Potato always teased them about how cute they were whenever they were in the same room together. They’d always deny it, but Potato could always find some chemistry between them. They’re made for each other, Potato constantly thought when they were on his mind. They just don’t know it yet.

    Potato strolled into Wolfie’s vacant office. Some leftover posters dotted the room, but other than that, the room looked exactly the same as it had been since Wolfie left.

    He sighed and turned around, feeling lonely. Who’d play private BedWars with him now? Wolfie was always there for Potato, no matter what. Everyone else was always “too busy for childish games.” (*sigh*)

    Maybe Peanut? Potato pulled out his watch and sent a message to Peanut. Hopefully he’s awake, Potato thought. He’s always sleeping.

    After he texted Peanut, Waffle rushed upstairs. “Potato! We’ve got a lead on the

‘Missing Moss’ case!” she exclaimed. “Get down here!”

    Potato slid down the stair banisters. Finally! A break in the case! Wolfie would be so proud (Of Waffle, not me, Potato’s brain thought jealously.)! He jogged after Waffle, ecstatic for the files. 

    Waffle shoved a yellow folder in his hands. “Now, shoo,” she snapped. “I’ve got work to do, you know.”

    “What is this?” Potato asked, waving the files in Waffle’s annoyed face.

    “Did you even look over them yet?” Waffle moaned, irritated. “If you didn’t, I swear—”

    “Geez, chill,” Potato interrupted. “I did look over them; all I see is a blurry photo, an evidence bag with some fabric and a pink hair strand, and a half-eaten strawberry donut, white cake.”

    “Well, for one, the donut’s mine,” Waffle growled, snatching the donut, “and also, the photo isn’t blurry; only the background is. How thick-skulled are you?” She pointed out a black figure with something laid across its shoulders. Wrapped in the coarse fabric, the object was limp, but a small spot of blood was stained on the fabric.

    “And if you look close enough…” Waffle pointed at the edge of the fabric. Pink hair flopped out of the edge. “There’s Moss, see?” Potato gasped in shock.

    “Where was this?” Potato asked. He grabbed his khaki-colored trench coat as                         Waffle answered, “Just outside the edge of town. Westside.”

    Chapter 14

    Wolfie with Nether? Awwww! Skink always thought they were cute together.

    Of course, Skink was Nether’s bestie. They’d always get into minor pranks together, such as a slimeball under a shoe or a water bucket above a door.

    Yet Skink’s favorite thing to do was tease his bestie and his sister. They’d only been dating for a couple months, but they were so cute together! He’d slip into the shadows behind Nether’s couch and peer at them, cuddling, while they watched a movie such as Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them or a series such as The Flash.

    Recently, Wolfie had told Skink, “Buddy, I’m going on a little trip with Foxx and Nether. Potato and Waffle will watch you, ok?”

    Skink had nodded silently as Wolfie strutted off, holding his hand, as they marched to Waffle’s place. Skink constantly bugged Waffle to tell him where Wolfie had gone, but Waffle always replied, “On a trip somewhere, don’t worry about it.”

    Today, at the police station, Skink would ask Potato, but as he slipped in, Skink noticed Potato wasn’t at his desk, wasn’t over bugging Waffle, wasn’t anywhere near the donuts, and nowhere near his mini potato garden. Where was Potato?

    As Skink casually walked over to Waffle’s desk, he noticed Potato’s detective coat wasn’t hanging from its hook on the wall. “Where’d Potato scramble off to?” Skink asked Waffle.

    “Westside,” she replied, “to solve the case of the Missing Moss.”

    Chapter 15

    Wolfie was stunned by the beauty of the forgotten temple. Its obsidian walls radiated with glory, majesty, and an impenetrable feeling. She touched her paw to an ancient tapestry hanging on the wall and fell to her knees as history flashed before her eyes.

    A world, an entire culture… forgotten. A dimension remaining. The Enchanted Portal flooding with Netherwolves, Enderwolves, and young Ender Dragons. Finally, an enormous and majestic deep navy-blue wolf emerged from the portal, wisps of magenta mist curling around her paws. The Queen of the End.

    As she gently lifted her paws, the Forgotten Temple rose. Miles of smooth, black obsidian curled and contorted together, constructing the shape of the temple. Bedrock was crushed together to make a light storm cloud-gray colored liquid. That liquid was used to polish all the obsidian walls and all the dark-oak-wood flooring, making it unbreakable, except for the queen. 

    A mini moat surrounded the temple, creating an infinite clean water source. Small fish darted in the water, perhaps sardines. Soon after, bass, bullfrogs, turtles, shrimp, waterfowl, and other creatures inhabited the area.

Little huts eventually flourished around the temple, and the ancient dragons used their ever-lasting magic to create an enchanted barrier, shielding them from the worst of the elements and protecting them from aerial attacks.

    Years later, the first humans arrived in their peaceful forest. Carrying spears, they threw them towards the dragons, who yelped in pain and screamed out flames. After

slaying all dragons except one, the Netherwolves were attacked next. They fought, tooth and claw, but even with the help of their Enderwolf allies, only about 50 Enderwolves and Netherwolves survived after the Battle of the Overworld.

    After the battle, Netherwolves and Enderwolves separated, two different tribes, frenemies. Forever. Two separate tribes. Two separate dimensions. Two separated friends. Two long-lost lovers. Forever forced apart.

    Wolfie’s eyes rolled back into her head as she fell, unconscious, into a coma.

    Chapter 16

    Nether cried, “Wolfie!” as he leaped forwards to catch her. She slumped in his arms, unconscious and breathing heavily. He quickly reached for her neck, panic flooding through him. No. No. No. he thought. Don’t die on me, Wolfie, DON’T DIE ON ME!

    Nether felt a small flutter of her pulse and his muscles relaxed slightly. She’s alive. For now. Her pulse flapped again, a little stronger.

    Foxx crawled up next to him, tears rolling slowly down her face. Suddenly, as if a lightbulb had flickered on in Nether’s head, he attempted to read Wolfie’s mind. 

    Nether could sense all the electricity in her mind slowly fading, but he heard a whisper. Save me, Wolfie whispered to him. I know you can. Find a way.

    An image flashed through Nether’s mind: him at sunset, carrying Wolfie’s limp body onto the roof of the temple. A stone table, which he sets Wolfie on. 

    Another image: red storm clouds gathering. Black lightning crackling in the clouds. Nether’s claws raised, the strange lightning gathering around them. A huge bolt of the black lightning, striking Wolfie. She sits up, gasping, alive.

You need me to do that? Nether asked her. I… I don’t know if I can do that.

    I trust you. Wolfie purred affectionately. Whatever you do to try and help me, I appreciate it. Tell Foxx I’m ok now, ok?

    Of course. Nether replied, tears rolling down his face for a moment. “Wolfie wanted me to tell you she’s ok.” Nether sighed. “She showed me a vision, but I don’t know if I can fulfill it.”

    “What was it?” Foxx asked. Nether described the vision: the black lightning, the

stone table, his claws, and the red clouds. "Interesting.” Foxx cooed. “Did you know you had lightning powers?”

    “I’ve never heard of it before,” Nether replied, “except from ancient tapestries and paintings. When there were no Withers (Foxx shuddered as he spoke the word ‘Withers’), the Nether Kings would hold challenges. Princes, nephews, and brothers started these challenges, and only these wolves were allowed to challenge.”

    “These challenges were fights to the death, with the lightning swerving around both gladiators. It was a magical force, only accessible by the Royal Family. After one of the fighters died, the ebony-black lightning would inhabit the winner.”

    “Epic, but scary.” Foxx summarized. “How can we use the lightning to bring her back?”

    “Simple.” Nether replied. “All we have to do is strike her with it.”

    Chapter 17

     Moss couldn’t take much more beating. Occasionally, his kidnappers would visit him, taze him, and punch him and kick him some more. 

    At least, he believed there were two. One’s fists were thicker, rough, and calloused, and the other’s was smooth, slender, and swift. They were girls, Moss was sure. One’s voice was deeper and more commanding, and the other’s was haughty.

    They would shout gibberish at him, possibly some forgotten language, or maybe a secret language they could use to communicate without spoiling their secret plans.

     Luckily for Moss, they'd moved him somewhere new, far away from the ashy volcano. What volcano, though?  Moss wondered. Was it a volcano, or was it a lava pool?

    Suddenly, Moss’s fingers tingled, and moss grew in the cracks of his chains. The chains splintered apart, and he dropped to the cracked stone floor below him. How did I do that? he thought, panicking. Doesn’t matter, just have to make it out of here alive.

    Moss collapsed on the floor, his arms aching. It was almost unbearable, but he had to be strong. Strong for my friends. All I have to do is last long enough for them to find me. 

  Moss’s hair was covered in so much dust, you could barely spot the cotton-candy pink it was dyed. His coughs filled the cavern as Moss gasped for air.

    The area Moss was trapped in seemed like a basement. The spruce-plank-paneled walls and the freezing air around him contributed to this idea, as well as the crates stacked around the room. Grain bags were piled in the corners.

    Quietly, Moss limped over to a wooden crate and slid the lid off.  Black silk clothing folded neatly in squares filled half the container. And on the other half—oh no—

weapons. Knives, sickles, scythes, and a spear were carefully laid in the box, the edges gleaming wickedly.

Moss stumbled over to another crate with an unidentifiable symbol on it. He slid it open, expecting to find poison or something else illegal, but all he found was simple… baking supplies?

Chapter 18

    Foxx was terrified for Wolfie. In a coma? That definitely did not sound like her almost indestructible friend. Her wonderful, care-free(almost), adventurous, cheerful friend.

    And the only way to get Wolfie back? Have her boyfriend use a dark lightning power he’s never used before, never known he’s had before, and has no knowledge about how to use it? Sounds great. Couldn’t he hurt her? Could he… kill her? Foxx didn’t trust him to save her life, but if Wolfie’s vision depicted him doing just that, she’d just have to trust her bestie.

    The golden sunlight outside began to slowly fade. The sky’s beautiful light blue began to dim, and a star appeared.

    “If I’m going to save her, it has to be now.” Nether growled. “Stay here. I’m not going to be responsible for your death if you come outside.”

    “If I die, I blame myself.” Foxx chuckled. Her orange-and-white tail gleamed in the sunset’s rays, which were slowly receding. The glittering light reflected off the snowy peaks of the nearby mountains, curving around the heavenly temple.

    Foxx’s shimmering black fur rippled as she stood up. “Besides,” she barked, “Wolfie knows I’m fearless.”

  “Fine,” Nether grumbled, “get yourself struck with lightning. Just remember, this power’s hard to control. I’ve never used it before, so there’ll be some trial and error.”

    Nether gently lifted Wolfie’s limp body and swooped up onto the roof, Foxx scrambling up after them. A stone altar laid there, just like in Wolfie’s premonition.

Nether laid Wolfie on the throne-shaped altar, her breathing ragged. Foxx sat down next to her friend, her bodyguard posture threatening.

    Nether inhaled and closed his eyes. He stayed in that position for a moment, holding his breath. After a minute, he breathed out, his claws trembling.

    Suddenly, Nether’s eyes snapped open, golden streaks glowing in his eyes. He clicked his crimson claws together and red storm clouds appeared out of nowhere. Black lightning flickered in the clouds, then unexpectedly struck his claws. The dark energy of the lightning crackled around his claws. 

    Foxx crawled under the altar, shielding her from the blood-red raindrops that were beginning to fall. Nether’s eyes shone brighter now, the lightning in his eyes illuminating around them. Thunder roared from above, striking Nether’s claws a final time. He shoved his paws toward Wolfie, a huge bolt of lightning following them.

    Wolfie shot up, gasping, soot covering her matted fur.

    Chapter 19

    Potato’s round-up went well. He had nailed down three suspects: Samantha (she prefers to go by ‘Sam’), Robyn, and Vinny (she’s a girl.).

    Potato had criminal records being made for each one:

Robyn Rainey

    Samantha Pixelton

Vinny Blue

    The only suspect that nearly matched one of the descriptions for the kidnapper was Vinny, but her personality was completely the opposite. Also, Vinny’s hands were smooth and narrow, and the kidnapper’s fists were calloused and tough.

     None of these suspects are our kidnapper, Potato thought. Vinny matches the height of the culprit, but her personality, background, and alibis all check out. She’s innocent. But the big question to ask here is… who’s guilty?

    Potato released the suspects later that day, putting a security detail on them to ensure no trouble. The issue was that no other security cams in the area caught a glimpse of the kidnapper. The last known sighting was on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Main Street, next to Sweet Treats, a local bakery. That was the one place the culprit could be hiding, but he hadn’t gotten a search warrant signed yet.

  Potato had scouted out the bakery that day to search for any signs of tampering, but he’d found nothing. John, the owner, gifted him a free dozen of glazed donuts and introduced him to his two new employees, Alex Middleton and her daughter, Onyx. They did extra work and lived in an apartment near the bakery. 

    From the little digging he’d done, Potato learned the mother and daughter had their own storage facility in the building’s basement, making it the perfect place to hold poor Moss hostage.

    They were the culprits, Potato knew it! He just had to wait for his search warrant to be approved.

    Potato pulled out his phone. It was golden with a clear case shimmering on it, with a little potato sticker stuck on it. Wolfie had also made him a little potato keychain, enchanted to bring him luck wherever he went. He dialed up Wolfie and received her voicemail. He left a message stating, “Wolfie! Get your fluffy wolf tail down here to Westside! We’ve found Moss’s kidnappers.”