Keisha and Verona traveled to the rocky outpost between the Dark Wood and the Descent, scaling along the side of a narrow ledge mountain.

Verona could see Keisha looking down and gripping the side of the mountain as she shimmied along the length of the wall.

“You know looking down will not help. You’re going to end up falling that way.”

Keisha snorted. “Thanks. I didn’t think scaling a mountain without any equipment, and saving my ma from cloaked strangers would be on my to-do list.”

Verona chuckled. “So, what is it like there? On Earth, I mean, wherever you’re from.”

“Atlanta,” Keisha told her.

“At-lanta,” Verona repeated, testing the word on her tongue. “It sounds foreign and fancy. What’s it like?”

“It’s amazing,” Keisha exclaimed. Her eyes twinkled with excitement. “There’s a lot of shopping places, and you can try some of the best chicken. There’s always something to do, and walking along the streets with other people gives you a sense of company.”

Verona hummed as she scooted along the wall. “That sounds like a headache to me. Too many people in one area can be disastrous.”

Keisha twisted her lip. “I mean, it’s not all bad. When people get along, things can be enjoyable. There’s a Museum of Arts where people come together and look at famous artworks. There’s also a Music Museum. Papà would take me there. He would always be fascinated by the different artists that achieved such greatness and wanted to inform me.”

Keisha pondered a thought. “I guess his fascination makes sense.” She giggled.

“And it was you and your mamma after that?”

Keisha nodded. A small frown took the place of the smile. “Yeah. I remember him saying he had to help a friend and that he’d be right back, but he never did. Mamma reported him missing, but after a week, the cops gave up and said he must have run off with another woman.”

“That’s horrible.”

“Ma didn’t believe it, and I knew my papà loved us so much that he wouldn’t leave. We just kept moving forward and waited for him to come back.”

They finally reached the other side of the ledge, where there was a large cave opening ahead.

“Is this it?” Keisha questioned.

Verona raised her finger and pressed it against her lips. Keisha crouched behind Verona as they crept toward the mouth of the cave.

They hid behind a large boulder and saw a 10-foot tall She-Wolf eating something. The wolf’s fur was the color of midnight, and its eyes were bright crimson.

“That must be the She-Wolf,” Verona whispered. “It’s distracted at the moment, which will give me an opening. You stay here.”

“But Verona.” Before Keisha could finish her sentence, Verona changed into her Stanza form in a brilliance of silver light and charged at the She-Wolf.

It was seconds when the She-Wolf noticed Verona charging. Its eyes narrowed and howled, dropping its meal at its feet. Verona raised her Stanza and struck the She-Wolf with fiery, icy shots. The wolf roared in agony as it shook its head to relieve itself from the pain.

The stalagmites from the rock ceiling shook from the vibration, and tiny rocks fell.

Keisha bit her nails anxiously. She watched as the She-Wolf snapped out of it and swiped its paws at Verona, who moved before it made contact. She jumped from one portion of the wall to another, using the Stanza to slam into its side. Again, another howl and the cavern shook.

Keisha looked up at the cavern’s ceiling and wondered how much longer it would hold. From Keisha’s peripheral, the She-Wolf’s bushy tail turned one hundred-eighty degrees toward Verona.

Keisha gasped, standing up from her hiding spot. “Verona, watch out!”

The warning came too late. The She-Wolf’s tail connected with Verona and slammed her against the side of the wall. The cavern rumbled. Verona screamed out. Her body collapsed to the ground behind the She-Wolf, and the red eyes were focused on Keisha now.

Its ginormous paws stomped in Keisha’s direction. It would take a few more steps to reach her.

Keisha shut her eyes. She didn’t know what would happen without a Stanza to channel it from, but she'd have to do something if she wanted to protect them.

“O…n-nda d-i Fuoco!” She shouted as loudly as she could. She stretched out her arm, palm up, and fingers spread.

Warm heat tickled her skin and her surrounds. The pressure of heat engulfed the cave, and sweat grazed her brow, followed by a whimpering cry.

Keisha waited for something to happen, but when she opened her eyes, there was no longer a 10-foot tall She-Wolf—only a naked girl with bronze skin. She had wolf ears and long twists that reached her back. A long tail swished back and forth. The red of her eyes were no longer menacing but innocent.

“Y-you’re the She-Wolf? You’re normal again,” Keisha asked.

The She-Wolf nodded. She flinched, holding her burned arm. “I—I was cur…sed by the Black Hand to be in that uncontrollable state after When I…was separated from my pack.” Her voice hoarse, having not spoken for quite some time.

“Your pack? Like your family? Do you know where they are?” Keisha asked. Her heart gave out to someone who had lost their family.

The She-Wolf shook her head. “No. They were taken. I was the sole person to escape, but I was still riddled with the curse to remain a beast forever until you broke the seal.”

Keisha rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, but realized a moment later. “Oh, Verona!” Before she could run to Verona’s side a burning sensation on her wrist made Keisha yelp. She gripped her arm to her chest, writhing in pain, and her eyes blurred with tears at the sharp tendrils of pain.

“Keisha?” Verona’s voice called out to her.

Keisha’s head lifted, seeing Verona standing to her feet, but her vision grew dark. Her head became fuzzy, and her consciousness faded as the world swam around her.

There wasn’t any sound as Verona ran to her. Her eyes frantic, her lips calling out her name. The She-Wolf caught Keisha before hitting the ground.

Eyelids heavy, darkness collected around Keisha.