would have made the poor wolf, by now almost lifeless, fall.

«Stop! That's enough!» said Kodi, running in order to save his father. Tarkus, however, stepped between him and Balto. He looked at him with his eyes as red as fire, gnashing his fangs and advancing threateningly towards him.

«Just try and I'll bet you to death!» said Tarkus. Kodi, having no way to escape, had no choice except to back away.

Kurat, however, used the opportunity: he attacked Fengen with all his energy. Fengen, however, realized this, and as Kurat jumped against him, the wolf quickly moved out of the way. Fengen's fangs penetrated Kurat's neck, tearing through his skin and penetrating deeply inside of him.

Kurat moaned. blood slowly flowed down his throat. in just a few seconds his soul left his body.

«NO!!» shouted Balto, still weak. Fengen wiped off the poor wolf's blood from his muzzle. Kodi was so desperate, that he couldn't say a single word. But it was his own face, with its expression full of anger and pain at the same time, that spoke for him.

«Why did you do that?!» asked Balto, who was hardly able to hold his tears from falling from his eyes.

«He left me no choice» Fengen replied, as he was wiping the wolf's blood off his muzzle. «You know, maybe if he hadn't attacked me, I might have let him live»

The wolf approached Balto in a threatening way, and as he got closer, Balto's heart beat faster. He was feeling fear like he had never felt before.

«Get away from him!» shouted Kodi. Tarkus, however, made him shut up by grazing his face, tearing at his skin. Kodi yelped.

Balto, being without strength, was unable to protect his son; and this made him feel like the worst father who could be in the world.

«I'm going to be nice,» said Fengen. «I'm not going to kill you: I'm going to leave you here alone, without food or water… leaving you slowly die». And suddenly around Fengen and Tarkus a fog appeared, enveloping them completely. When the mist disappeared, the two wolves were gone... as if they had never been there.

There was a moment of total silence. Kodi slowly stood up and approached his father.

«Dad, are you all right?» he asked. Balto looked at him and smiled. Even though he was extremely powerless, he didn't want his son to worry about it.

«Yes, I'm fine» said Balto. Kodi looked around to find the cave entrance. Finally, he saw it.

«Do you have the strength to get up?» he asked. Balto did it, albeit with great effort. Father and son prepared to go towards the outside, but Balto stopped and looked at Kurat's soulless body. His gaze filled with sadness.

«I'm so sorry» he said. suddenly the earth trembled as never before. Kodi looked to the outside and saw that at the entrance stood Fengen, looking at them smiling menacingly. Fengen beckoned the two wolves to look up; and as they did so, remnants of the cave fell in front of the entrance... and blocked it.

«NO!» shouted Kodi. But now it was all useless: the only way they had to get out had been blocked. Kodi and Balto felt powerless: They were trapped and didn't know what to do.