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"The stories are real Dula. The nightmares father used to tell. The beasts are coming. The villages have disappeared. There is darkness in the air. Do you not feel it?"
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[KAYOS]
The human girl trembles before us. Her hair is thin, long, and stringy, a fade-off from the color of the earth. Her scent is strong, a musk of sea and land, salt and dirt.
Her sunken eyes remain glued to the stoned floor she kneels on, eyes darting all over the place. Her heart is a hard pound within her.
I know what she feels. It is a pain that calls out to my very being. Releasing a hunger in my wolf.
She is in a foreign land amongst beasts that could rip her to threads in a breath. Perhaps that is why she fails to breathe normally as one would.
Instead, it is a harsh wind against her dry torn lips, her hands shivering in her tattered lap.
"She can speak," I state, head tilting slightly, taking in the human.
"She has not spoken a word." Vaeln counters, starting at the small creature.
"She will."
I feel his eyes on me at my reply. It is not a promise, it is merely for telling.
"if she wishes to see the sunrise tomorrow." I finish.
The girl's eyes immediately rise at this, wide as saucers, her first mistake. Her eyes fall into mine, trapped in the abyss of chaos that lives in them.
Fear in return echoes in her eyes, so deep, I was certain it was the only reason she couldn't look away after. Paused treacherously, a way in which I was able to read her soul.
"Kayos," Mother whispers desperately beside me.
She has seen this one too many times.
"You're scaring the girl," she hisses, her voice a soft plea.
Mother's heart is soft. It is filled with light. Bitter when need be, strong when called upon. But she does not understand the chaos that lives inside me. She does not understand why I thrive on fear, why the wolf inside me stirs at its taste.
"She is better off scared, than dead, mother."
The girl's eyes widen ever so slightly ad my words. I keep her eyes hostage in mine, unwavering- pulling at the darkest memories that stretch deep within the outline of her soul. For these are the ones that hold pain, that hold fear, that draw chaos and calls out to the endless.
Her breaths deepen, then form into bare grasps as she struggles for air. It is not because she can not breathe.
Humans have no wolves to protect their souls, therefore stealing them is rather effortless. She is a meal presented before the endless, a soul to take, pain, fear, and heartache just there-
Waiting for it to feed.
She gasps because she can feel her soul slipping away, dissolved in the abyss of the endless that is carved in the eclipse of my eyes. The veins around her neck deepen to dark lines as she leans forwards, and I circle her slowly.
She is prey, and the chaos, the endless inside me wants to feed.
"Kayos!" Mother blurts, louder this time. She catches herself, swallowing deeply as she regains her posture, her tone lower and firmer, "This can not be necessary."
I ignore her concerns as the girl draws deeper gasps, enlarging her eyes.
She will never understand. She does not know the price of wielding darkness itself.
"Ancient forests are dying, wolves are missing, and there are no bodies to bury the dead," I coldly state, my head tilting to the side.
I watch the human for a few seconds knowing every word I speak sends a haunting shiver down her spine. She is human, unaware of what authority stands before her. One she senses but can not identify-
So much like-
I find myself slipping but I soon regain sanity, knowing my eyes are pits of flames now as my wolf shows forth I speak,
"You know of the threat human, and you refuse to speak," I taunt.
Her eyes watch me in pure horror, unblinking.
The endless inside me is delighted. It yearns for pain, it salutes chaos. It hopes for death, for a soul, small and innocent, pulling the darkness closer, and closer, and closer- so
Close to consuming.
"You will kill her," Vaeln states quietly, as the girl becomes paler, her body a light breeze away from falling to the stoned floors.
I can not stop my wolf from growling when I speak, "Death will receive her with an open embrace."
I stop before her when she falls forward, her draws for air no longer gasps but empty attempts. Her eyebrows draw together, tears streaming down her already tear-stained face, terror in her eyes, not because of the soul I am taking, but because of death -lingering a shadow away.
"P-please!" she gasps, her words are a broken fountain of letters, her hands trembling outstretched toward my feet, bled by dark veins that have stretched up the length of her arms.
I am almost saddened by this. That her pain is to end so soon. It must be if am to gain the answers I seek.
A clench in my jaw. My dark-filled eyes turn to Vaeln, with a shrug, repeating my first statement.
"She speaks."
The chaos inside me lets go of her and she gasps for as much air as she can, her soul released from the grasp of the endless chord I had drawn back to me.
She stares at the floor breathing in deeply as fast and as hard as she can, her frail body still shaken in what could only be described as morbid disbelief.
She is in shock I assume. She does not understand what it is she has been through, though I am certain she knows death was a foot away, awaiting the moment the chaos inside me was released.
"Indeed," Vaeln replies, with a soft sigh, his gaze on the girl.
I stare down as she grovels at my feet for a moment until I pull up her chin so the fading life in her eyes meets mine.
She freezes once again drawn to my gaze, fear still locked behind them and I feel her wishing to close them and never open them again.
I know she feels how I invade her mind. She can not grasp that I am capable of such a deed.
"Name?" I growl.
She breathes low and quick, her lips trembling before speaks, but she knows she must, her voice is broken and small, "D-dula."
I search her eyes and she squirms. She speaks the truth.
I let go and her eyes immediately found the ground. They stay there, safe away from my gaze. I find it pathetic, perhaps I find it infuriating despite knowing why she can not.
I glance at Vaeln releasing myself from the fire lighting within me. The night is not easy to control. I do not desire to do anything to the girl- not yet.
I need only take what I need. She will be useful in the future but the night inside me yearns for more, more than the little I have given.
Vaeln nods in understanding, his gaze falling back on the girl.
"Where do you come from?" he asks.
The human's gaze remains floored, only rising ever so slightly in my direction, but her gaze reaches only my feet, before glancing in Vaelns.
"Nivera," she speaks.
"Across the sea?"
She nods, more times than is required and keeps nodding, a tremble in her voice, a shake in her body.
"You were found by the shore. A good way from a shipwreck. Were you on this ship?"
Vaeln paused momentarily, "Do you even remember?"
She paused, her gaze shifting about, but nodded, her eyes trailing to the cage before quickly looking away, blinking fast and blocking the memories that threatened to echo in her eyes.
"You know the creature?"
The sound of its voice causes her to stiffen for a moment before She nods once again, rubbing her arms as she sucks in a sob.
"Where does it come from?" I growl.
"I-I don't know," her voice skips as the creature hisses her way and she shakes again, her head turned away from the cage, biting her lips to stop a whimper, refusing to register the beast.
"Tell us what you do know," Mother says for the first time. Her tone is calmer, more collected now. A heavy authority laced in her tone.
The girl shivers as she speaks, her gaze always to the floor, her head turned away from the cage-
"T-they were f-first rumors. Just stories fathers told their children. I-I..." she trailed off shaking her head, "they're not supposed to be"
She gasped, tears streaming down her face, eyes still on the floor, she immediately slapped a shaken hand across her mouth as a sob escaped.
Once she collects herself as best as she can she speaks once more.
"they were supposed to be stories," she states, her eyebrows drawing together.
She seemed to be in shock.
"Silas said some villages had simply disappeared overnight. He said the Kings were hiding something, that things at night were taking people, drinking blood," she battled, sobbing, "that children were missing and someone was hiding the dead-" she froze for a moment, "they were stories! Silas always tells stories!" she huffed, hugging herself as she cradled too and for, "he's good at stories. Very good."
The hiss of the creature in the cage next to her sent her body frozen, her head shaking and eyes darting all over the place.
"And then they came," she freezes, staring at nothing for a moment, "and they just-" she blinks- she goes somewhere in her mind- she stays there for a few seconds, and then chuckles, "Just- dead, everyone...blood, everywhere"
She starts rocking back and forth lips trembling, "parts, everywhere, bodies, everywhere, everywhere, everywhere, everywhere-"
"Dula," I growl, and the sound of my voice snaps her into submission. Into calm, into nothingness.
Her gaze trails upwards, to no one in particular. She is not in the dungeons, she is not among beasts she has
Only ever heard of, she is simply gone, "in the morning there was nothing- no bodies, no parts, only blood, only fire- only no one but us."
"Who is us?" Master Gregory asks.
Her eyes trail to him, ghostly, her eyebrows drawing together for a moment as if the memory was posted to her-
"I don't-" she pauses, blinking, her eyes falling to her palms folded in her lap, "Silas and I. My brother," her eyes water, "Us, him and I. To the sea, he said. We will be safe over the sea!" she mocks, tears stripping her eyes clean.
Her arms wrapped around her body, shaking her head as the sobs returned, as we, in turn, returned into the despair that echoed within her mind,
"but they were on the sea, Silas!" she screeched, "they were on the sea!"
My gaze travels to Vaeln and he holds it.
The monsters were on the boat. The massacre, the carnage there were no survivors but her.
The creature growls and the girl slaps her ears shut, rocking back and forth, "Make it stop! Make it stop!" she screeched.
Vaeln signals to the guards and the human is taken away. Weeping as she's dragged off into the dungeons.
She is no use to us in that state. Not at the moment.
"She says the bodies were taken too," Mother states, glancing among us.
"She also said the Men Kings may be to blame for this curse." Vaeln huffed, his gaze shifting to me slightly, "How did they get a hold of Adzar?"
"The Men Kings would not dare wage war against Valcane," I growled, eyes darting to him, "I am certain of that."
"Maybe then, when they were weak," Gregory replied, "but if they have found a way to wield Adzar, they are not what they used to be."
"Foolish is what they are!" I growled out, turning to him, "No one can wield Adzar. It is not force that can be wielded. Even if it foretells the illusion of it. No one can control it. It was not meant to be controlled. They will burn both our worlds if they do not stop."
"Can it be stopped?" Mother echoed, her gaze on the creature, she seemed out of it, "Look at it. It watches us like it understands us. How many of these...these things did it take to slaughter a whole ship? How many have escaped into our lands already and have poisoned our forests? How many more ships of humans are traveling across the turbulent seas seeking refuge in Valacane, but harboring this curse within their midst?" she huffed, "The curse is already here. How many ships have we missed?"
She was right. The plague was already spreading. If rogues were already missing then the threat was here and thriving.
"I will send my shadows across Valcane, see what they can gather. Meanwhile-" I dreaded speaking the next words, "we must speak with the others."
"We call the tribunal, now?" mother asked. "That will raise panic amongst the packs and the territories."
"We must move my ceremony sooner, then. We can not cause unwarranted chaos through Valcane by simply calling the tribunal. If it is under the guise of my mating, the wolves will not panic. They will think it is merely haste in my celebration. The people are anxious to see my soul tied to
Another, so their fears of another overnight will be quenched,"
Silence loomed among us as I spoke.
"They will not suspect a thing, only celebrate." My gaze traveled to Gregory, "Meanwhile, we need to set watches over every shore in Valacane in each of the four territories. Then we must send word to the Men Kings."
Gregory nods at this, with a low submissive hum.
"And the girl?" Mother asks.
"The human has more to say, she will remain here. We are yet to learn more from her."
"Do you think it is wise keeping her slaved to the Night Court? It goes against the treaty we have with the Humans," Gregory started.
"The treaty was broken the minute their threat crossed our borders. Make no mistake Gregroy," I growled, "We are at the brink of war."
He seemed to freeze at this for a moment before nodding, his gaze dropping to the floor.
Vaeln agreed with this statement, "War has always been inevitable. I shall call for my mate. She is best protected best by my side. Then I will reach out to the others. If there will be a war, I am certain Fir will take much delight."
He turned to Mother, with a bow, "I will see you soon, Grand Luna."
She nodded, as he bowed before her, before taking his leave.
"I will send word to the Men Kings, and set watch," Gregory added, bowing low. He left soon after.
Mother and I stood in silence, my gaze trailing the creature trapped in the cage.
"Are you truly certain about pushing the date of your mating closer?" Mother asked softly, "You must know that I only wish you to be happy Kayos, I wish-"
"If only wishes could be real, Mother," I grunted, my gaze held hers for a moment before I looked away-
"Sadly, oftentimes, they are not."
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