Chapter 89: The Giants Have Arrived
By midnight, the heavy, rhythmic thuds of the two colossal elephants finally brought them near the boundary lines of the Silver-Grey territory.
Knowing that the sheer, ground-shaking vibration of two eight-thousand-pound titans marching into the forest would send the pack into a defensive panic, Selka sat tall on Zuri’s shoulders, threw her head back, and let out a booming, resonant howl to signal her triumphant arrival.
"Awooooo... Awooo... Ooooo... Awooooo...!"
Miles away, resting inside the camp, the sleeping elders, young pups, and resting adults instantly jarred awake as the familiar, authoritative frequency of their former Alpha’s voice echoed through the trees.
The powerful hunter wolves on patrol immediately bounded onto the high rocks, aggressively checking the wind currents.
Their nostrils flared as they caught Selka’s distinct scent—but right alongside hers, they detected two massive, unimaginably strong, and completely unfamiliar musk signatures moving into their territory.
Realizing their mother was back and bringing massive reinforcements, one by one, every single wolf in the camp threw their snouts to the dark sky, joining their voices into a thunderous, victorious response.
"AWWOOOOOOOOOO—OOOOOO...!"
"AWOOOO... AWOOOO...!"
"OOOOOOOHHHHH...!"
Inside the Alpha’s den, Kael was sitting cross-legged beside Nuan, carefully tilting a broad leaf to feed her a few drops of cooled liver soup.
The massive, unified chorus of the pack suddenly shattered the quiet of the cave, making his ears perk up instantly.
He froze, his eyes widening to full circles as he distinctly picked out Selka’s voice hidden beneath the pack’s roar.
Carefully setting the wooden soup bowl down on the dirt floor, Kael leaned over Nuan. He reached out with absolute tenderness, his large, warm hand gently caressing her soft, pale cheek. "I’ll be right back... she’s home," he murmured softly into her ear.
Kael strode purposefully out of the mouth of the den, the dim half moon reflecting off his silver-grey fur.
He drew a deep breath, reading the air currents. Intertwined with Selka’s scent were two colossally heavy, ancient, and majestic scents that smelled of wet earth and open plains.
A brilliant, radiant light exploded in Kael’s eyes. His chest expanded, and he let out a deeply happy, ecstatic, and victoriously booming howl to welcome his mother back to the pack.
"Awooooo... Awooo... Ooooo... Awooooo...!"
Down at the border, the immense, unified symphony of the silver-grey wolves vibrated through the trees.
Zuri and Amara stopped their massive strides, their large ears flapping as they processed the fierce, welcoming chorus.
"Are we inside your territory now, Selka?" Zuri communicated up to her back.
Selka looked out at the familiar green canopy, a profound sense of relief washing over her heart as her pack’s voices surrounded them.
She nodded firmly, her silver eyes shining. "Yes! Welcome to the Silver-Grey Clan’s territory!"
.
.
.
The entire pack stood completely frozen outside their stone-and-earth dens, their jaws literally dropping as the two massive tanks of the plains stepped into the central clearing.
The air vibrated with the sheer, crushing weight of their footsteps.
The silver-grey wolves had all heard the legends of the Elephant Clan, but actually seeing such colossal, armor-skinned beasts breathing, moving, and very much alive in the flesh made them realize just how unimaginably vast the world outside their jungle borders truly was.
But the moment their eyes tracked up Zuri’s massive flank and landed on Selka—sitting tall with a broad, triumphant grin—the collective tension evaporated.
Selka looked down at her people, her silver eyes shining with pride as she called out, "I have brought help!!!"
The clearing instantly exploded into a deafening chorus of pure, unadulterated joy.
"AWWOOOOOOOOOO—OOOOOO...!"
"AWOOOO... AWOOOO...!"
"OOOOOOOHHHHH...!"
Yet, amidst the roaring celebration, Selka’s sharp gaze drifted toward one particular den in the corner.
Stepping out from the dark, heavy shadows were Lyra and Tala. Their eyes were painfully swollen, and the distinct, dried marks of countless tears stained their cheeks.
Selka let out a soft, internal sigh. I knew it. These two must have been hiding inside their den crying every single night, eating themselves alive with guilt over what happened to Nuan.
Catching their anxious gazes, Selka gave them a warm, deeply reassuring maternal smile that screamed, It’s going to be okay.
Tala and Lyra instantly gripped each other’s hands, letting out trembling, broken sighs of absolute relief as their faces finally cracked into small smiles.
Breaking away from the crowd, Kael strode purposefully toward the two massive elephants.
He stopped right below their towering heads, throwing his shoulders back and standing tall as he looked up at his mother.
Amara tilted her massive head down, her large, amber eyes inspecting his heavily bandaged shoulder. "Who is this injured one?" she communicated, her voice a deep rumble.
"My son, the current Alpha of our pack, and the Witch’s potential mate!" Selka answered cheerfully.
"I am her mate, Mother!!!" Kael corrected loudly, his chest puffing out aggressively as he growled the statement with absolute certainty.
Selka just chuckled warmly, shaking her head. "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, boy." Leanining forward, she gave Zuri’s thick cheek a firm, affectionate rub and a tight hug. "Help me down, please."
Zuri nodded her massive head, gracefully curling her powerful trunk upward to create a smooth platform.
Selka stepped onto it, allowing the giant to lower her gently and securely onto the dirt floor of her home.
The moment her feet hit the ground, Kael stepped in, his eyes rapidly scanning her from head to toe, checking every inch of her skin to ensure she wasn’t mortally harmed.
"Mother... you actually made it," Kael whispered, his deep voice suddenly cracking as the immense, terrifying weight he had been carrying for days threatened to break him emotionally.
Selka’s fierce grin widened, and she reached out, giving his uninjured arm a firm, loving pat. "Oh, come now, what do you take me for? I am not your mother for no reason! Look here, I brought the finest help in the beastworld with me. Now, we can finally treat the Furless one!"
But before Kael could celebrate, a heavy, chilling atmosphere suddenly blanketed the clearing.
Amara looked down at Selka and Kael, her large ears sweeping forward as her gaze turned ice-cold and laced with a severe, heavy warning.
"Not yet..." Amara communicated rumbingly, her massive trunk swaying with absolute authority. "First, we would like to confirm her identity with our own eyes. Take us to her."