How Dark is the Night?

Chapter 1 Night of Memories

Fenra

It had been a night like this when my mother died. Died? No that's not the right word for it. Hunted, killed, murdered. Slain not by the werewolf hunters nor the dragons or even the elves. No, she had died at the claws of her own kind. Other werewolves in deal with the devil. The tattoo of a crescent moon joined with the black sword by the infinity symbol, scorched into their skin. It had come to be known as dialuplocutus, a combination of Latin words meaning promise of wolf and devil. A promise of death.
I sigh softly and my breath fogs up the window of the bus. Rain lashes heavily against the window, street lights showing growing puddles along the road. The sky was dark with heavy grey clouds promising nothing but more rain. The bus rocks steadily through the late night city with not many people braving the weather. A young woman sits near the front of the bus, blond hair covering slightly pointed ears, eyes deep blue like a summer day river and skin soft and glowing. She was an elf alright, she didn't seem dangerous at the moment so I move my attention to the other on the bus. The rest of them are regular humans, young or middle aged with no distinguishing features. I turn in my seat at the back of the bus and stare out the window again. Memories flood back to me pouring through my mind like the rain onto the ground.

"Mum what's wrong?" A small child whispered, her white and black hair pulled into a ponytail and green eyes wide with worry.

"Nothing, sweetie. You'll be just fine, Fenra." A woman replies softly kissing the little girl on the forehead. Her black hair seemed dull and fear showed in her brown eyes.

"What about you? What's happening?" Fenra panicked and gripped her mothers hand tightly. But her mother didn't answer just started walking.
The raining started shortly after, huge fat drops of water splashing against the pavement. Fenra squealed at the sudden cold water hitting her exposed skin. A bright red umbrella emerged from her mothers bag, springing alive and sheltering the two of them. The streets were empty as night falls, nothing moved except the girl and her mother. A hushed silence falls between them, anxiety thick in the air. There wasn't a single car on the road or another person walking through the sidewalks. No animals sung or moved in the eerie silence. The town seemed dead, devoid of any living creature.

"Fenra, I need you to run. Don't look back, don't stop just keep running" The child looks at her mother only to find her own terror reflected in those brown eyes. Her heart was beating wildly and sweat poured from her brow. A crash echoed through the empty street.

"RUN!!" Her mother screamed and the girl ran. She looked back and the sight stopped her in her tacks. A pack of huge wolves surrounded her mother who had also shifted into wolf form. But she was in the middle of the street!! They never transformed anywhere near humans. She heard her mother growl savagely, black fur on end and lips drawn back showing deadly teeth.

This didn't deter the other wolves who simply growled back with equally savage fangs. Fenra counted about ten of them, all double the size of a regular wolf with hardened muscles. They leapt at her mother all at once. Fenra was frozen to the spot, her limbs turned heavy at the sight of it. Jaws snapped, claws slashed and fur flew through the air. Blood splattered the grey sidewalk, dripping like the rain into the puddles. Her mothers wail of pain freed Fenra and she ran back.

"Mum!! Hold on I'm coming." She screamed, her own body twisting and shifting into a wolf as she ran. She was only about the size of a grown red cattle dog. Her muscles not yet hardened and black and white coat still puppy soft. This didn't stop her from leaping through the other wolves to be at her mothers side.

Her mothers body was torn, blood pouring from wounds at her neck and belly. Brown eyes were dull and her breath shaky. Her legs collapsed and she lay still in a puddle of water and blood. Fenra nudged her mother softly, whimpering quietly.