A New Hope

As she came out of her trance Fern did not feel the overwhelming sense of exhaustion she usually did. Was it because the elemental helped her this time, or she had noticed her powers were growing because of the elemental magic concentration in this area. He'll maybe it was the combination of the two.

She got up and wanted to go to the next cage but the weres dragged her outside to eat, that had to mean she had being inside for several hours already. With her new knowledge and the help of the elementals she felt better about her abitities to heal more of the creatures suffering from the fall of the elementals.

After eatting she went back into the dark narrows to see if she could help the last two, the first one she came to the males quickly pulled her pass it. Its occupant throw its massive body against the thick whole tree that blocked entrance to its cage, it's teeth snapping and biting taking pieces of wood off with each try.

They led her to the last cage where a were with deformities dryad to move about, it's lower half to small for its more massive upper region making it look more like a gorilla instead of a werewolf. The males still had to fight with it to get it lay still, its pain almost stopped Fern in her tracks but she force through it to do what she could.

When she checked this time she was surprised to see that three different soul remnent were trying to both fight and enter the weres soul. Fire, water and air were fighting to wiggle through a single hole into its soul and take over its body completely. However as one gained a advantage the other two would attack it until all three were pull out again.

These fragments and this case took over for short periods twisting it form to grow one way and then another as the struggle continued. Its pain was so bad that Fern had to turn away to vomit out her lunch before settling her mind to pull them out.

This would be tricky as she would have to have three elementals work together at the same time and moment to give her screaming were relief. She opened herself to access her soul once more and this time had to ask for the elemental to help her once again. Fire demanded to be freed if he helped, water asked to share its soul with hers and air asked to be allowed to occupy a baby weres body if it helped.

After a lot of threats, denials and thinking outside the box, Fern had to agree to talking to them for a hour once a week so they could get to know each other better within the month. However this was for all the elementals and in exchange they had to help whenever she asked within this months time.

Finally after a prolonged period of time they finally found the perfect moment and they each pulled their soul fragments out and back to their owners. Fern patched this ones soul as well and sent her spiritual power to discover the damage. She thanked them for the help and strangly thier voices fell quiet.

She found that both its hips were dislocated and had grown calcium deposits blocking their ability to go back in place. It took quite a bit of pressure but finally the calcium dissolved and she straighten the leg bones back to a semi normal placement.

When she came out of her trance she had two of the weres pop his hips back in place and told them how to put them in a immovable position till they healed. For a were probably take a week with their spread up healing abilities. The weres sister had tried to attack me when she heard her brothers increased howls of pain but started to cry when she saw him sleeping in a much more normal position.

Fern tried to go back to the last one but passed out from the exertions of the day, so the last resident she was unable to see. The other males felt relieved that they had a one day repreave before facing the monstrosity that remained. The three she had seen that could only be relieved of pain passed away in the night as Fern ran from the nightmares in her dreams.

She woke up earlier then normal because of her fears and failures and began meditating to quiet and steel her mind for what she would have to face ahead. Then before breakfast she checked on the babies and mothers all were doing much better and said the move upward from tje borrows had allowed them to feel and breath freer.

Fern return to the new borrows and found them filled once more with high concentrations of elemental poisoning. Since she had talked to the different elementals she felt sure this was mostly from the earth one. There had to be a main source that was nearby and underground most likely, maybe she could ask him where it was coming from, yeah right.

Once again she found herself on the way to the old burrows and her last patient and felt very nervous because no matter who she asked about it they just gave her a grave look and walked away. Finally the shaman came to her side on the walk over and only said a single sentence. "It is the alpha pairs only living child left or we would have released him to his faith long ago."

When I arrived I found that the large were that had been on the brink of madness was listening quietly to his father and his look was a little sad but no anger showed of could be sensed. The other that had so much pain it had hid most the others, was now set up on a wood frame which held him immobilized and was able to enjoy the sun. His sisters smile and laughter sooth my soul like the best of medicines.

A loud roar and slamming could be heard as soon as we walked into the burrow my last patient was getting even angrier from what I had felt yesterday.. I was surprised to see the alpha pair outside its cage and wondered if it was their presence that had increased its anger.

How was I going to be able to help it, I feared that all the weres together wouldn't be able to restrain it without a lot of injuries. The alpha pair asked me to wait outside in case of a emergency and the shaman led me back to the entrance. I heard the sound of thick chains being dragged around behind me an wonder for a,second were they had come from before I realized it didn't really matter.

First I heard the chopping of a ax followed by a bellowing roar, thrashing, struggling and howling followed. Then it seemed as if the earth exploded and a huge solve close to 15 feet long ripped the rest of its body through the newly formed hole it had made. Seven feet tall standing on all four legs he was the standard height of the two footed weres.

He large head swung in the direction of the women and children playing across the valley floor. Suddenly a fist sized stone hit it in the head and Fern realized she had thrown it to distract it from its prey. Was she insane who was going to save her?

Sure enough it crouched and sprung towards me as if it had wings, stupid me, I just throw up my arm to protect my face instead of dropping down or runnong for it. Through the cracks in my fingers a massive form blocked out my sight of the wolf as well as the sun. It's massive body surprisingly was able to stop the wolf from ratting me in one bits. I could have sworn it said hello old friend.

Then the fight was on and it looked to be about equal in strength and mass luckily by that time the weres inside the burrows started to come out to help. Slowly the alpha son was restrained if only temporarily and I set about my work. This time it was the ice elements fragmented soul causing problems somehow it was only able to reside next to the weres soul and blacked its evolutionary part to make it were and the poisoning had cause a sort of gigantism mutation.

After I and ice pulled the fragment out, I felt sorry for the alphas their son would be a wolf like their ancestors but would never fit in, have a mate or even children of its own. This was all caused but the selfish and unfeeling elemental it was bad enough that the killed off themselves but there reckless behaviour was continuing to destroy and cause pain to so many others.

Earth elemental softly spoke up I can lead you to the site of poisoning tomarrow that was caused by me. I am sorry. Fern was so surprised she felt dizzy for a few seconds then thanked the elemental. When morning came she told the alphas of her plan to find the nearby corrupting souce and soon she was on her way. Surprisingly a large mutated were and a giant mutated wolf fell into step by her side. She opened her mouth several times but then finally just said thank you.