12 years later
*~*Velanthropine*~*
I panted harshly as my paws landed on the other side of the befallen tree with a thump. My legs bent to cushion the drop, tail smacking the ground lightly, before I returned to pushing off of the ground to propel myself forward. My swift movements took me past trees and over roots as the sound of other paws chorused around me. Even though they wouldn't be any closer than 50 meters away, I could hear them clearly. A howl cracked through the air behind me, causing me to increase my speed, the need to not get caught filling my system.
"And with that the chase has started everyone." A familiar voice announced from within my head like an echo. "Remember you all must not get caught within the ten minutes in order to be initiated." The link was immediately cut off as I picked up my pace even more, determination cascading through my system like a tsunami. The smell of moisture fluttering in the air alerted my nose to a nearby water presence, urging me to sniff deeply and change my course towards the creek that ran near this portion of our territory.
With my change of direction, I could now see the other determined individuals who were trying to gain a position as a part of the clan. This was the Vryntal Clan's Right Of Passage(also known as R.O.P), where the 16 year old's of the pack are tested on their abilities through a series of tests involving a literal exam, an obstacle course, and The Chase. The exam consisted of a series of historical questions about the clan, like who the clan's alphas were previously. The obstacle course was a physical test for strategizing, which we had to do in our half forms. Both of those were the least major of the two, where if you failed both of them you still had a chance to getting into the pack as member. Though it's technically pointless to participate in The Chase if you can't strategize battle plans or remember key qualities about the alphas, not that I would have any problem with that in the first place.
The final, and most important "challenge" of the R.O.P., was The Chase. All participating Lupai had to remain in their lupus forms (aka: "wolf" forms) the entirety of the event, relying solely on their shifted instincts. The goal of The Chase was to avoid getting caught by the lead alpha's beta while running through the pure forest areas of the lead pack territory. You were caught the moment you were tackled by the beta and your back or stomach hit the ground. You could hide, but considering the beta is supposed to have the best sense of smell out of all of the pack members aside from the alpha and our trackers/scouters, that wouldn't necessarily do you any good. If you were caught, you'd automatically have to come back the following year and try again one last time, otherwise you'll be outcasted to the Wracklands-where the violent hybrids and the other snarky criminals of our continent dwell-and dubbed a rogue. You could try joining other clans, but it's a relatively complicated process that few choose to go through due to it's high standards that need to be met and how hard it would be to even gt to another clan considering the lands between clans is in no way tame enough for calm survival.
Yes, it is a pretty brutal system, but it's not as harsh as the other species of sapiens, as I've learned in school. Thus my reasoning for going to the river. I knew the betas, considering I grew up with them sitting at our dinner table every night. I couldn't get any family tips, because not everyone had access to them so it had to be fair, but I did go the route of spying on the betas and doing research on their history just as much as everyone else could. I went the unconventional way, though. While everyone else was trying to get information from any inside sources they could about our beta positions, I looked into scent masking techniques. It was completely legal in the rule books when I checked, so of course I went to find scents that were known to relatively block one's personal scent from most high tier positions. You can obviously guess which was the go to.
YOU ARE READING
Empowering Orenda
Fantasy"Velananthropine," my name rolled off of his snake like tongue and into my ear with a whisper. I could feel his warm breath slither down my spine as the heat from his body seemed to corrupt my shift. "What a peculiar name for a girl like you." I sco...
