146 Sibling Rivalry

Vy took in a deep breath, the fresh forest air filled her lungs as she took her Titan Wolf form. She could feel the dry leaves beneath her paws, the wind on her fur. Lycster was in his Mountain Goat form. It had been a while since he had taken this form, so it took him a while to get used to being all fours again.

Vy's ears turned to listen, wondering if there was prey nearby. But Nayla's voice sounded in her memory, reminding her that animals in these forest areas were protected. Thinking back, Vy wondered if she knew they were planning to come to the forest all along.

-Shall we have a race?- Lycster asked.

-Sure, but I will play fair.- Vy replied.

She turned back into a regular-sized wolf and prepared herself for the race. She stretched out both her front paws and hind legs.

-Ready?- Vy asked.

-Ready.-

After a quick countdown in unison, both of them sped through the forest. Vy was swift but she could feel her lungs laboured by the speed she was running at. Her little brother, on the other hand, was full of energy. He was clearly conserving his energy.

She realised that she could not continue purely based on her experience and strength, she also had to use her wit. She also wanted to use her courage. As they continued their race through the forest, they were coming up to a river.

After a quick assessment of the landscape, Vy turned to Lycster.

-Shall our finishing line be at the top of that hill over there?- Vy asked as she pointed towards the hill in the distance across the river.

-Sure!- Lycster replied. He was surprised Vy would pick that as their finishing point. Is she purposefully giving him an advantage?

After all, his Mountain Goat form allowed him to traverse rocky terrain and slopes the best. As he was about to ask Vy, he finally took notice of the river coming up before him, causing him to stop in his tracks.

Vy barred a grin as she passed Lycster. She trailed the side of the river for a short while and took a leap forward. She could not leap far enough to cross the width of the river, but she had already mapped out her route. Vy had noticed some rocks protruding out of the river earlier. Now, she used them to her advantage and leapt on them to cross the river.

As soon as she crossed, she turned back and was about to laugh at Lycster when she realized that he was not at the riverbank. As she turned side to side, looking for him, a shadow flew overhead.

It was an owl! As soon as it flew over her head, it transformed back into a Mountain Goat.

-See you at the top!- Lycster's cheeky voice chimed in Vy's head as he sped off towards the mountain.

-I will see you there!- Vy replied as she picked up her pace.

She was not going to be left behind! With the adrenaline pumping through her veins, Vy was more than ready to take the race more seriously. She leapt into action, chasing up to Lycster in a matter of minutes.

It was difficult to differentiate who was fast then the other for a long time but it felt like all was set in stone when they arrived before the mountain. Lycster did not start climbing the mountain immediately. Instead, he first circled the nearby area and found a slope route up.

Vy trailed behind Lycster, following closely behind. But before long, the rocky terrain proved difficult for Vy in her wolf form. But Lycster was in his element! He concentrated on ensuring each step his hoof placed on was sturdy enough to support his weight.

Step by step, he was making it all the way up. He refused to look down, in fear of vertigo. He tried his best to keep looking up or at the terrain that he was climbing.

As he was just about to reach the top, a shadow flew past behind him and perched on the top of the mountain. It transformed back into a wolf and let out a howl.

Lycster, finally made it to the top of the mountain, panting from his efforts. As he watched the wolf continue to howl with delight, he charged forward and turned back into a human and grabbed on tightly to the wolf's soft fur.

"You cheated!" he exclaimed with a squeal, followed by laughter.

"Did I?" Vy asked, feigning ignorance as she too started laughing.

She turned back into her human form, placing Lycster on her shoulders as they basked in the sun's warm rays. The view before them was simply breathtaking. They were energized and recharged from their little race.

"Lycster, do you miss Elette?" Vy asked.

Lycster looked on at the vast green forest that expanded far and beyond below them. A flock of birds flew above the trees and into the distance.

"Of Course, she will always be our little sister," Lycster replied.

Deep down, both of their hearts were aching. The physical injuries paled in comparison to how they truly felt in their hearts.

"We still need to bury her," Vy whispered, as her long curls swayed in the wind.

"We do," Lycster replied as he sat down next to her.

Vy blamed herself endlessly for what happened that night. If only she was stronger if only she was quicker. The tragedy could have been prevented. Lycster blamed himself too. If he was stronger, if he was smarter, he could have found a way to save both Elette and himself.

The brother and sister turned to look at one another, the guilt they held were written on their faces. At that moment, they understood each other's hearts. Tears began to flow and before long, both of them were crying.

Memories of the times they spent with their little sister flooded their minds. The happy times they spent with one another, the heartfelt gift she had picked out for each of them. But everything was shattered the moment Vy's dagger plunged into her heart.

Vy could still hear her scream, followed by her sobs and disoriented cries. Even as the child breathed her last, she still called Vy's name.

"We must bring her belongings back. Mr Bun must be buried with her too," Lycster sobbed.

Vy nodded in agreement. "We'll get everything back from the castle."

"But.. but will they even let us in if we go back?" Lycster asked.

"If they don't," Vy declared, "I'll find a way."