Prologue-2 days ago..

A dim moon rose over the New Moon Woodlands. The calls of Phoenixes and fairies could not be heard. Everyone was asleep, safe in their houses. Whether their houses were trees, dens, clouds, or underground, all the creatures of the forest were asleep.

Well, almost all of them.

A silhouette slowly emerged out of a moon-glistened den and walked over to where a beautiful she-wolf was sitting.

"Hello, Echo," the she-wolf said, glancing over at him.

"Maplewhisper," Echo greeted her. He looked up at the moon, and found Maplewhisper to be doing the same thing.

She shook her head. "I'm sorry," she told Echo. "It's just that.."

Suddenly, Maplewhisper stopped talking. She started shaking.

"Maplewhisper?" asked Echo, worried. He padded over to her.

Just then, Maplewhisper's head shot up. Her eyes glowed blue as she chanted, "Winds will whip and fires will blaze. Forests will crumble and become nothing but haze. But all will be saved if  Nexis breaks free, and finds the Artifact hidden amogst the trees."

Maplewhisper shuddered, and fell to the ground.

Echo nudged her head. What just happened? "Maplewhisper?" he asked again.

She slowly got up, her tail ruffled. "Wha-" she started. "What- what?"

Then the color started to return to her eyes as she widened them. "T-that was a prophecy," she said. "A vision."

Echo gasped. Wolves in the New Moon Woodlands had not given out visions in over 200 years. Why had that just happened?

"But- who..who sent it to you?" he asked the panting wolf.

"I do not know," she said slowly. All that I do know is that this vision needs to get to the wolf involved in it."

"But how do we do that?" asked Echo. "No wolves in the New Moon Woodlands have had visions in 200 years... it's surly not strange it happened now?"

"It is strange," Maplewhisper said quietly. "But I am the Knowledge Wolf. Maybe somethi-someONE chose me to give out this prophecy to.. Nexis?"

"But what is Nexis?" Echo was confused. He swished his tail and padded over to a rock. He sat down.

"I think.. I think it's a wolf," said Maplewhisper. "And she needs to find a.. Artifact to stop the forest from getting destroyed.."

Echo shook his head. This was just so confusing! Why had Maplewhisper gotten a vision when no other creature had gotten one for 200 years? It just doesn't make sense.

"Well," he started. Echo cleared his throat.

"Yes?" asked Maplewhisper.

"Well, you are the Knowledge Wolf of New Moon Woodlands. All the creatures come to you for advice. And I am the Moonwatcher Wolf. I watch the Moons to get an idea of what happens in the future. So maybe.."

"If we told all the other creatures in the forest about this?!" gasped Maplewhisper. "What will they think of me? Wolves haven't had visions in over 200 years! I'll be kicked out of the forest!"

"Maplewhisper, relax!" yelped Echo. He twined his tail around hers. "it's gonna be alright. What I was thinking is.. what if we somehow got that vision to this... Nexis wolf.. and showed her a glimpse of the forest? Then she'll be able to stop this prophecy from happening."

"Perhaps that will work.." Maplewhisper started slowly.

"But- but won't Dragarha find out about it somehow and try to stop it?"

Echo shuddered. Dragarha was the most feared dragon in the land. The New Moon Woodlands were sheilded from her dark magic, but those who were not prepared might stumble upon her, and she would use her dark magic until-

Echo whimpered. Dragarha had a reputation for hunting out prophecies, (she had lived for 300 years) and stopping them. She hated prophecies, ever since one told by an old white wolf, Luna, had told one that said Dragarha wouldn't be Queen of the Magma Lands, and that her sister would instead. Dragarha was furious! She killed Luna with her dark magic, and then killed her sister ON her coronation day, in front of a crowd of dragons.

Then Dragarha had ripped the crown off of her mother's head and slit her throat.

"I AM THE TRUE RULER!" she had roared. "I AM POWERFUL, MIGHTY, AND STRONG! MY SISTER DIDN'T DESERVE TO HAVE THE THRONE! AND THAT OLD WOLF LUNA DESERVED WHAT SHE GOT!"

One dragon had spoke up and had said, "But... um... aren't prophecies meant to be followed no matter what?"

Dragarha had roared and killed that dragon, VERY violently.

"I am your Queen," she had growled. "And you are to obey me.

"From now on, I FORBID ANYONE to give out prophecies. Break that rule, and your punishment resolves in death."

Then she used her dark magic to whip the prophecy and vision powers out of all creatures in the land.

So if Dragarha did that, why did a vision suddenly just happen?
"It will be alright," Echo said, staring into Maplewhisper's afraid eyes.

"Dragarha won't find out about the prophecy. We'll make sure it's fulfilled.

And we'll keep you safe."

"I hope so," Maplewhisper whispered, looking at Echo. "For the New Moon Woodland's sake."

Echo looked up at the Moons. They were very bright.

"Now, lets figure out how to get this prophecy to.. Nexis."

Chapter one-

c

"Nexis! Get your lazy tail up out of bed!"

Nexis struggled to wake up. She had been having a great dream! She had been chasing rabbits and relaxing in a meadow of flowers.

"NEXIS! NOW!"

Nexis opened her eyes, and saw an angry looking she wolf with a crooked muzzle leaning over her.

"Mff.. yes, Direfang," she said drowsily.

"Be outside the den in less than a minute. If you aren't up by then, no breakfast."

Direfang walked out of the den.

Nexis sat up and yawned, her teeth gleaming.

Her mother, Moon, had died when she was born, but before she died, she had said, "D-direfang... sister... plea-please promise you'll care for m-

-my little Ne-N-Nexis.."

Direfang had looked at her sister's face and then at Nexis, who was whimpering for milk. She didn't really like her sister all that much.

"Yes Moon...." she growled.

Ever since then, Nexis's father had run away, and Direfang had brought up Nexis. Direfang had 2 other cubs, Shadowhowl and Bloodmoon. They were all rude to Nexis.

No wonder their names were so vicious.

Nexis walked out of the den, and saw Bloodmoon tearing a rabbit apart. Direfang was nudging a vole to Shadowhowl, who was pushing it back.

"I can hunt on my own, mother," he was saying. "I don't need this stuff."

Nexis sighed, sat down, and started nibbling on a crow.

"Ah, so here's the scrawny little runt who ruined our lives!" Bloodmoon said, grinning at Nexis. She could see bits of chewed up rabbit in

Bloodmoon's mouth. She grimaced.

"Now now Bloodmoon, sweetie," said Direfang, but she was smiling.

"Fine, mother, I'll stop," Bloodmoon said, but when she passed Nexis to get more rabbit, she whispered, "Runt!" 

Nexis finished her crow and started to leave the vicinity of the den, but Direfang put her paw out.

"Not yet," she growled. "I want you to clean Shadowhowl and Bloodmoon's bed, clean up breakfast, and hunt for lunch. Put the prey in a pile inside the den."

Shadowhowl smirked and mouthed, "Runt!"

Nexis sighed. She was used to Direfang's strict rules, Shadowhowl and Bloodmoon's teasing, and how small she was, but it got to her sometimes.

"Yes, Direfang," she said sadly. 

"Come on, follow me," she barked at Shadowhowl and Bloodmoon, and they walked away to the den to visit Direfang's friend, Bonecruncher.

Nexis slowly started cleaning the scraps and remainders of dead rabbits out of the dirt in front of the den. As she licked the floor, she thought of what it would be like to have a mother.

I probably wouldn't have to do chores like this all day, she thought bitterly.

Nexis finally finished cleaning, and padded into the den. She switched the dry leaves out with fresh ones and fluffed them up.

Then she headed towards Willow Grove to catch squirrels and maybe a chipmunk or two.

The sounds of birds screeching entered her mind as the den became more harder to see. The forest opened up into a grassy clearing, perfect for hunting mice and squirrels.

Nexis crouched down low into the grass, using all her knowledge of hunting as she could.

Direfang hadn't taught her much.

A squirrel leaped out in front of her, it's whiskers twitching. Nexis was about to pounce when suddenly...

a jolt of pain ran through her head! She gasped and crashed to the ground, her tail twitching.

The squirrel sped away.

Chapter two-

Nexis slowly opened her eyes. They felt heavy. But when she saw what was in front of her, she felt wide awake and jumped to her paws.

"Are you Nexis?"

Nexis's jaw dropped. How did this white wolf know her name?

"Uh- y-yes?" Nexis sputtered.

"I am Maplewhisper, and I live in the New Moon Woodlands," the she-wolf said.

"The New Moon Woodlands?!" gasped Nexis. The New Moon Woodlands, Nexis had been told, are a place of ancient magical creatures, pixies, wood sprites, star moles, fire salamanders, animals like that. So why was this wolf, Maple-hister, whatever her name was, telling Nexis she was from the New Moon Woodlands?

"Um, sorry for asking, but, uh- how are you from the New Moon Woodlands? I thought only magical creatures lived there. Shouldn't you be living next to Willow Grove, like the other wolves do?" Nexis asked the strange wolf.

"No, because I am a magic wolf," Maplewhisper said. "I am the Knowledge wolf of New Moon Woodlands, and I have been delivered a strange prophecy, Nexis."

A prophecy? "But prophecies and visions haven't been told for more than 200 years!" she blurted.

Maplewhisper smiled. "It is strange, yes, but this is urgent Nexis. I need to tell you this vision because.. because you were in it."

Nexis felt her tail bristle. "How come I was in it?" she asked. "I'm no-wolf. I'm just a dirty-furred 7 year old wolf cub with no parents and no apparent destiny." Nexis felt a wave of sadness, but she ignored it.