Two girls around twelve skipped merrily through a meadow. They twirled and spun in the beautiful shower of sunlight. The clouds that day were clearer than ever and the sky was excellently blue. You could hear the gentle breeze carry their laughter for miles. Occasionally, the chirping of birds, soaring the sky in aligned rows. Nothing felt anything less than magical between the clear bond the girls shared with the excellent weather and meadow.
They found their way to a beautiful patch of daisies beside a barrier of trees that enclosed the area. The ginger head held up a Daisy to the other, her eyes glimmering with a childish grin.
"Promise me we will be besties forever?", she whispered. She put the Daisy into the ground trying to replant it. The other girl plucked an identical flower and placed it beside the replanted flower.
"Promise" she held up her pinkie for the ginger head, who in turn locked pinkies with her, giggling at their cute bond.
I opened my eyes to find myself, sweating face first in the bed. Crap. Those dreams were getting frequent; I need to rest from all the stress I'm experiencing recently. I looked up to my wall clock and it read three. Yeah, I need another chocolate bar-
Oh my goodness I overslept. I am going to miss the greatest event in WWR wrestling if I don't bolt out of this place now. I swung my knapsack over my shoulder and dashed for my window. Technically, my chances of not getting caught are 50-50, so why not take the risk?
I jumped out of my first-story window and landed in the bushes under it. Getting to the pack walls without being noticed was a feat I hoped I could complete. They were fenced practically like castles with a weird prison aura. I hate that feeling.
The easiest exit available was an abandoned gate. I wonder how no one noticed it. The thing was covered in vines that grew around every inch of its rusted frame. It also had a teeth-gritting creak when it was swung open.
If I said I cared about the poor security measures my father made, there's a chance I'm lying.
Once I stepped outside my pack's borders, the calming spring breeze took over my senses. Birds in trees talked to each other in clear melodies.
"Please I want to go for a run, Hazel" I'm sure the environment alone was a guilty pleasure for Ivy. Wasting no time, I stripped behind a tree and was on all fours in seconds. Ivy leaped in joy and leaped for every flower that was in sight. In a minute, she picked up my bag and ran through the trees at the speed of light.
The wind whipped through my fur with the peaceful grace of ribbons. It gave me the feeling of spring as a child playing in fields with a purely curious mind. Diving into my thoughts did take away a bit of my anxiety about lateness. Just thinking about the splendors of childhood were-
Not now- memories can wait. I need to be serious, I can't miss this for the world.
Ivy slowed down at a clearing of trees as the sky started to fade into the night. Shouts of determination and the thin scent of sweat signaled we reached the stadium. Before I shifted, I felt the presence of something wavering around me. I closed my eyes, letting my mind waver through the trees. I immediately located the presence of a hidden camera in a tree branch, which Ivy leaped onto and snapped within seconds. Like they could try.
I quickly opened my knapsack after shifting back to my human form. I wore its contents quickly: a black jumpsuit with long sleeves and a strapped belt, a hooded cloak, and a tie-on mask that showed only my eyes and my mouth. I walked around the forest till I came to a wide paved gateway with the most exotic cars lined up in the front of golden gates. Many official wolves chatted around vehicles, and I avoided as little attention as a few stares while approaching the gates. At the front, two men in suits held a clear iolite plate.
"Place your hands on the gem" I did as said and when I lifted my hands, the spot where they were became clearer and transparent. With downward heads, they stepped away from the gates as they gracefully swung open.
"Welcome False Face"
§ § §
I stared into the studio mirror, reflecting on everything that'll happen as soon as I stepped into the ring. It was Invincible. The literal champion of wrestling is my opponent tonight. A psychopath by heart-the guy has gotten in trouble twice for killing two wolves in his teen years. And here I am. It would be a piece of cake either way. If I don't get hurt first.
"Relax! You've had a streak of 4 knockouts in this tournament! You'll beat him, I know it",Ivy barked. She's such a cheerleader. I took a sip of the formerly chilled soda served to me.
It'll be a breeze. Just keep the mask on.
"False Face, make your way to the arena", the announcer called from the speakers. It was time. Dun dun dun! Ivy barked again.
I grabbed my pair of diamond-shaped daggers and made it to the door. There, another suited man stood at the door with a needle of red liquid. He stuck the needle in my elbow pit and left immediately he drew it out. Magic for wolves to shift without tearing their clothes and regeneration of a heartbeat was genius. I stood at the door, taking in a deep breath of reassurance.
It will be all over. You'll win. Definitely.
I braced myself and sauntered confidently into the arena. The chants of my name from the stadium rang louder than echoes of bombs. As I walked, the sand under my feet gave me a vague familiarity. The one place my wrestling life started and will be determined. Stadium lights were on their brightest, and the scent of autumn and the strained atmosphere gave off the most battle royale energy you could think of.
Standing ten feet in front of me was the notorious 6'4 Invincible. He wore a Tiki carved mask, his wavy chocolate hair pouring out from all sides. He looked down at me with his hidden beady eyes, swinging a mace the size of a watermelon. My only advantage was speed. This man was a practical giant. It was impossible to disagree with the rumors saying he wasn't a dire wolf.
"You both know the rules. No killing, you win by knockout or surrender. You may shift whenever past the two minutes mark. Lastly no hitting below the belt. Especially. Same counts for the mace. Begin in three, two, one", a shrill buzzer evaporated through the air.
The battle to the death.
We circled each other, his eyes scanning my every move. I charged straight for him. He was going to grab me by my right arm. I dodged his grip and whirled past his left leg, slicing it with my dagger. He ran towards me and I saw his next move. I dodged his mace and leaped for his upper arm with my blade, a tiny gush of blood escaped his skin. Not the deepest cut but it should slow him. Invincible's growl was earth quaking, like a literal earthquake that shook my heart with an adrenaline burst.
He was gonna swing his mace at my feet, so I evaded its attack, jumping over his chain. The thing had a stunning length of 5 feet with its arrow-like speed. The aura now had a new feeling of fury in it. He turned it back at me, and I barely dodged it by a backflip. Just when I thought he'd go full Tarzan, the two-minute timer went off.
Great. Now Ivy just leaves this to me.
I waited for him to shift, but he didn't even break his gaze on me. He just kept swinging his mace on the ground,hurling up clouds of dust. Only the moon goddess knows how he does that without killing himself. I fell on my paws in a heartbeat, calculating my next move. I could tell simply by his fury and the crowd's rising chants, he'd have to make the first move.
I walked closer to him as he rapidly closed the gap between us. Just be ready Hazel. Just be ready. He swung the ball for my head, but I ducked it and charged for him. He drew his mace back and aimed for my side but I leaped over it, escaping with a grazed leg. Before he had a third try, I leaped for his neck and shifted mid-air to stab his neck. He reached for my arm and instead my blade scraped his palm. Another scratch.
I landed behind him, my cloak lifting with the breeze. This man was just difficult to hurt. Huge, jacked and swift reflexes in one body would be an impossible feat to win. Spontaneously the cracking of bones could be heard, and in a matter of seconds, a wolf almost twice my size stood before me. His mud brown fur was patched in shapes of scars, and the look in his obsidian eyes held the entrance to a never-ending abyss. He stomped the ground with his paw, flashing bloody teeth at me.
I'm not losing. I swear on the moon goddess.
He stalked towards me growling, a string of curses laced with his breaths. I kept my feet steady on the sand, zoning out to the tensed crowd. Taking a deep breath of the autumn night, I shifted to my wolf as Invincible started to gain speed. As soon as he was ten feet away I dashed to his side just in time and sank my teeth into his tail. He immediately threw me over his back, giving me the chance to shift and slash along his snout.
He howled in pain, distracted by my cut as I landed feet beside him. With my higher than normal speed, I was able to slit his hind leg. Another painful howl erupted through the air, mixing with a faint smell of blood.
At this point Invincible was grunting heavily, his fur now tinted with scarlet streaks. Damn, I hit him hard. Ivy does your thing. I looked up to the clock. Three minutes more. No judges are gonna decide my fate. His grunts enhanced nothing but his thirst to spill something.
I bolted on my four paws for Invincible's back, trying to find a way I could get on him. Just when I found an opening, Invincible butted me with his head hard, flinging me into the gravel. Before I had time to get up, I sensed he wanted to scrape my side, so back to my human self, I evaded it and flung my leg straight into his jaw.
He retreated enough for me to escape his close clutches. I ran for another attempt onto his back and successfully lodged myself on his neck. Invincible turned into a bull, leaping aggressively and struggling to get me off his back. Through it all, I gripped his neck fur like a life force. Another prediction of him falling onto his side flashed through my mind. I swung my leg from his side and when he flung himself down, I slashed his belly. I made sure it was deep enough to let the handle of my blade go in. I leaped up just as Invincible's stability came back to him.
Ninety seconds. Screw it.
Giving myself a good distance from him, I steadied my mask, sniffing the air before I dived into my plan. It had the mix of Invincible's scarlet stains, his ever-growing fury, and the tension within the crowd wasn't hard to miss. The autumn breeze filled my lungs, I closed my eyes and breathed out all my chances of losing. Now Ivy. Do your best.
I let Ivy take control of my wolf form, mimicking Invincible's threats clawing at the gravel. I glared at him, showing my readiness to end this in sixty seconds, and he took the bait. He charged at me with the speed of an eye blink. Ivy stood her ground, waiting for the right time. Closer and closer he approached within split seconds. Immediately he was close enough I yelled at Ivy.
Now!
Ivy shifted back to me as Invincible ran over me, missing him by inches. In a flash, I shifted back to wolf form and dug my teeth hard into his tail. He threw me over and with the perfect timing, I landed back on his neck. Just when he was about to snap at me from his right side, I leaned over to the left and stabbed him right behind my leg.
He stopped his attempt and whimpered, his standing weakened. He tried to shake me off, but I held my dagger as firm as I could, hoping he'd not be more resistant. He wasn't, fortunately. He fell to his knees and howled with an echoing grumble. The crowd erupted in destructive cheers, and the stadium lights switched to a royal blue. I rose to bow, my mask concealing the rare grin I hid,
"Ladies and Gentlemen, the winner of the tournament is False Face!!"