As night and I wondered back to the pack I was thinking about how my family was going to act to my disappearance. I know I have run off many times… Far to many times but I just cant help it sometimes. My father tells me all the time that I am a free spirit like a stallion in an open field and I have to agree with him there, because every time I leave my pack I feel a sense of freedom, but when I leave to protect them I feel a sense of responsibility and I deeply love that feeling.
My eyes gazed over to Night that was walking beside me, his silky jet black fur was long getting ready for the harsh winter that was to come, I already felt the chill in the air as it nipped at my nose. I had to start getting ready myself, which means I need to hunt and kill a dear for its fur and make some warmer cloths. My old ones got destroyed from the wear, last winter was terrible with the harash snowed about knee deep sometimes and the sudden blizzards. By the end of the winter my cloths were all tatters, exposing bare skin in to the frigid winter air.
I shuttered at the thought, yes I will have to get to work and make my new winter outfit. Night looked at me from my sudden movement, he is always alert, always protective about me. He thinks himself as my protector since I am a human and normally humans don’t live in the woods. But I keep telling him that I am not a normal human that I have more wit and strength than them. I was raised by one of the most intelligent thing in the world of Akasu after all, the wolves of Winter Dale.
I smiled at Night. “ Night do you think I am weak?” I have asked him this many times before and I get the same reply every time, I guess I want him to tell me the truth of what he really feels.
His soft sky blue eyes looked at me with tender kindness. “ No Rav’. You are strong.” I knew he was just saying that to keep me happy but I could see in his eyes the truth.
I looked away from him, my lavender eyes looking ahead of me in the Bhangi forest, it seemed to open up before me. It was wide and vast with tall trees probably over a thousand years old. This forest was magical, and ancient, father told me that elves used to live here long before the wolves took it as their own.
I have only met an elf once and it was during my route of protecting my pack making sure no one was going to harm them. Moon mother whispered to me telling me of an intruder in the woods but that it wasn’t a threat, I didn't really care I don't like trespasser in my packs woods.
I slowly picked my way to where moon mother told me to go, and what I saw amazed me. I looked from behind a tree and saw a little girl with sun bleached blond hair, skin pale as the moon, just like mine, eyes big but the color of them was soft silver. I could smell the fear rising off of her as I saw her trembling, and heard her soft weeps. I slid from behind the tree going on all fours my foot stepping slightly out in front of me as my hands drift to the side, my eyes trained on her, as I stepped closer. Her wide eyes looked at me and shoved herself onto a tree pressing away from me, she was breathing hard from fright.
“I don’t want… to hurt…You.” My human language has gotten a lot better over the years, I only hoped that she could speak it to.
She looked at me confused for a second, made my hope quiver for a moment, then she lowered her head looking at me through her thick silver eyelashes with anger. “ Your human… Your kind enslaved my people! Your kind killed my family! Your kind killed my ancestors!” Her human was a bit better then mine but it there was a need of improvement like mine.
“I am ...not normal human, I am wolf by ...heart, trapped in human... body.” She looked at me weird. “Since I was ... baby I was raised by wolves. I also hear moon mother, she told me to... come find you, and she showed me the... way.
She looked up to the moon then to me. “You hear the Moon Goddess?”
I nodded, then I picked up my foot and scratched behind my left ear, had a rather irritating itch there for a few minutes. Her eyes widened as she saw the moon symbol on my forehead. I don’t know how it got there I had it since I can remember.
“Then… what you say is true then you must be the Moon Goddesses…” she fell silent like they all do. I still don’t know what everyone is talking about when they say that because they never finish it.
“I must be the Moon ...Goddesses what?” I asked tilting my head wondering if she would tell me.
She shook her head. “Never mind I was mistaken.” I could smell the lie rolling off of her but I dismissed it.
“So what are you... doing in the Bhangi wolf ...territory?” My soft voice had somehow getting a bit stern.
“Walking.” She said bluntly. She was hiding something.
My eyes became hard with a tint of a fire in them as I bared my teeth lowering my head slightly in a threatening manner.
“FINE, fine. I was looking for ancient Elven relics.” She looked around. “But apparently they have all been destroyed from the war with the humans, and the elves.”
I looked at her. “Well you're lucky you ...haven’t be attacked by any creatures out here... there are many that are here.” I tilted my head then looked at the moon.
It was going down behind the mountains and I accepted that, saying farewell to her and pleasant dreams throughout the day. Then when I looked back to the Elven girl, she was gone. I shot up and looked around and she was no wear to be seen, I couldn’t hear her, or smell her anywhere.
I looked back to the moon for answers but moon mother was gone, being replaced by her fiery sister. I looked back to where the elf was then I turned and left.
I never found out where that little elf girl went, because I never saw her again and moon mother wouldn’t tell me where she went.
I sighed at the memories making Night look at me. I looked back at him my eyes gazing deep into his. I wonder what he was thinking honestly. After all that happened between us there was still a lot of space between him and I. A space I have been trying to fill, but I know the reason for this space… its because I am human and we can not truly bond with each other.
I tensed at a sudden smell that I have know since I was a baby, the scent of my father. I smell his anger, his disapproval, and his worry. Which made me confused really why would Deroga be worried about me? After all I did he was supposed to hate me.
Bursting from the bushes my father landed with a thud of his paws skidding slightly to a stop, his brown eyes wild with anger, my mother trotted next to him her creamy colored eyes cool and calm
I looked at them in wonder, my mother and father had the closest bond than anyone in the pack. Mother was calm, cool, peaceful, and always made everyone happy. Father was stern, strict, barked out orders, and filled with a lot of anger. Mother also had her moments where she lost her cool and when she does you better watch out or your head would be bitten off. Father also had his moments where he was calm and at peace, he can be a really sweetheart. But right now I knew I was going to be yelled at.
“RAVEN!” my father barked. “ You left again! And you attacked one of our members! EXPLAIN YOURSELF!”
I hung my head deeply ashamed. “ Father I ask for your forgiveness. I was infuriated, Starlight was trying to take Night away from me. Tried to claim him as hers. I fought for him…” I looked at him beneath my eyelashes, my head still hung low.
My father bared his teeth. “Then you had every right! There was no need to run away like a fool!!”
I nodded. “I was just so scared, I had the blood of one of my pack members on my claws,” I looked down to my gloves with the bear claws embedded into them; they were stained with Starlight’s blood. “I am sorry for your worry, for your anger, for your stress that I have caused you.”
My father’s eyes cooled and he looked over to my mother, she nodded and sat down her body was so gracefully curved but strong. My father walked to me and nuzzled me, mother came rushing after and cuddled with me.
I smiled and hugged them both, nuzzling them back, as I whined with childish pleasure. Night smiled as we all began to walk back to the pack, which greeted me with tackles and licks to the face. Everyone was happy… everyone but Starlight. I looked over to her and slowly made my way next to her. She bared her teeth with a low growl, her hackles raised.
“I am sorry for hurting you Starlight, I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.” I bowed my head to show my respect.
“I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU, “she looked over to Night. “Not until you give up your Night, to me”
I glared and my head shot up and I bared my fangs. “YOU WILL NEVER HAVE NIGHT, AS LONG I LIVE!”
She glared back. “Then you better watch your back... human” she knew I hated to be called a human. “Or ill be gnawing on it.”
I raised my hand ready to strike her down and she jumped up to her feet, reopening her wounds, her muscles quivering with weakness. “Then I challenge you to a death match!” I roared.
“ENOUPH!” My father screeched with annoyance. “There will be no fighting in this pack!” He looked at me. “At least not with an already injured member, Raven you will have to wait till her wounds heal and she is strong again.”
I nodded, “Yes father.” I backed away from Starlight and the others. “I wish to be alone for now, to clear my head of this anger that I feel deep inside.”
“You may go, don’t wonder to far, Night go with her.” I was relieved that he was coming with me and not have the chance of Starlight to flirt with him.
I wondered away from the pack and thought through the rage surging through my body. Night was oddly silent, I looked behind my back to see him with his head down thinking rather hard.
“Night?” his head shot up to look at me. “ What are you thinking about?”
“Starlight…” That my heart both burn with anger and sink to the bottom of my chest. “About the whole mess between you and her, I don’t like her rav’, you should know that my heart belongs to you. Even if you’re human, I love you raven with all my heart.”
Tears came to my eyes but I blinked them away, to cry is to show weakness. “I love you to Night.” Then a sudden smell caught our attention.
Night growled low and got into a defensive stance. “RAVEN!” I turned to him. “MAGIC MEN!”
Magic men the ones that put this demon inside of me, the men that made me turn on my own pack. The fools that have come back to reclaim what they have lost. The men that were soon to be dead.
With that we ran back to the pack, sprinting past trees, launching over rocks. We knew we had to get to the pack, and save them. But when we got there we were to late, the magic men were already attacking our pack. They must have used their magic to get here so fast.
roared in rage as I tackled one f the men with black cloaks to the ground ripping my claws through the flesh of his face, I heard the screams of terror and pain squealing from him. I grinned with glee but that soon faded when he placed his palm onto my chest sending a wave of magic slamming into me, launching me into the air. My back slammed into a tree, knocking the breath from my lungs and thumped to the ground limp.
I struggled to get back up my arms shaking from the weakness. Night saw me hurting and tackled the magic man that shot me with his magic. I looked up and saw my pack the protectors were fighting the magic men off the herders were leading the pups, elders and the weak. I saw starlight as one of them, I struggled to my feet, and my vision blurred, the world spinning. Whatever was in that magical blast was affecting my balance, along with my thought process.
My arms hung low in-between my parted leg, I was a bit slumped over panting. My body was breaking a sweat from the effort to stand, I staggered over to Night and rested a hand on his rumbling shoulder from his growling. He spun around to attack but once he saw it was me he backed off. I swayed but caught myself, His sky blue eyes were wide with excitement and the rush of the fight. I looked at the others they were still winning against the magic men.
“Night I don’t feel so well.” I swayed again as the world reeled on me. “I feel like I ate one of those bad mushrooms.”
Night’s eyes widen and he started to herd me with the others, with the weak and the old. I fought against him, I didn’t want to be considered weak. I shoved him away , making me stumble to the ground, which I hit hard scrapping my elbows and my side. I hissed in pain as I forced myself back to my feet.
“No! I REFUSED TO BE WEAK!” I said as I shoved Night aside and walked straight to one of the magic men.
He noticed my advance to him and rose up his hand and shot a wave of energy at me, the same like the one before. I dodged it last second then sprinted to him even though my vision was all blurred and my balance was way to off for this type of movement. I growled as I dropped to the ground dodging another energy blast as I spun my leg sweeping his feet from under him. I shot up and pounced on him pounding on his face with my fists and biting his neck.
Another wave of energy from a different magic man got me from my side sending me flying to the ground, sliding against the forest floor. I got to my hands and knees shaking the wave of nausea away and rose back to my feet. I glared at the magic men as they advanced on me. I looked around the forest floor seeing the others where either stunned or passed out. I whipped my head back in to the magic men and growled, flexing my hands for the fight. There black cowls shifting with their footsteps, the hood covered their face with a dark veil, pouches on their hips along with a long master swords.
I backed up away from them growling and swiping at the space in front of me. I knew they were going to beat me I was clearly out numbered, 5 to 1 isn’t that great of odds. I looked behind me and found myself being herded to the dens wall. I didn’t know what to do, only thing I could think of is to attack them and hope that the moon goddess is on my side, and not die.
Night came to my rescue last minute, before the magic men were just about to get me, he launched himself in front of me just as one of the them produced a net with heavy lead weights all around it. it took 3 men to carry it, he growled viciously at them and charged.
“RUN RAVEN!” he said to me as he leaped in the air about to tackle one of them down.
I was to stunned to move as I saw the net go around him making him slam to the ground with a hard thud. His eyes were closed tightly in pain then he peeked out with the left eye gritting his teeth. I felt his fear and pure rage, the rage made something strange inside me unlock the parallelization the was effecting me and I launched myself at Night and grabbd the net. To my surprise the net was magically enchanted, sending shocks of energy through my body.
I convulsed so hard, my head shot upward to the sky and I screamed out hard. I pulled at the net, trying to rip it open so Night could escape. The night sky was wide and open and the moons light caressed my face. I felt her worry, her pain.
“stop my daughter, you are hurting yourself.” she whispered in my ear.
“NOOO!” I shook my head furiously and lowered it to look into Nights eyes, I saw fear for me in them. “Night... I LOVE U!!” I screeched as I used every once of my strength.
The energy blasts were burning my insides, blood tricked from my mouth and blocked my breathing in my nose. I screamed in pain again, I was now convulsing harder. The magic men was standing there in pure amazement that I was resisting the electricity coursing throughout my body. Nights sky blue eyes stared at me in horror, his face full of agony for me. I coughed up blood, then I got clunked on the back of the head by something hard. I felt blackness take me with out warning as the world suddenly spun from under me, I expected to hit the forest floor but I went through it , swirling in a pinkish gray mist.
My eye lids grew heavy, my body so limp. Falling and swirling, was this the pathway to the moon goddesses temple? Does this mean I am dead? What about my pack? Will they be okay? What about Night? What will happen to him? What will the magic men do to him?
I am so weak... I can't fight this swirling hell, but I had to try, try for my Night. I had to save him, save him from the magic men. I need to protect my pack!
I turned my body to face the bottom of the swirling tunnel and what I saw was horrifying, I saw the distant future. My pack surrounded a stone slightly covered with a moss, their head are bowed and sorrow over the faces. Then my father the leader of the pack shot his head up to the sky and howled a long howl into the winter air. The vision shifted suddenly to Night, he was in a cage, his once silky fur is now matted and shaggy. He looked utterly miserable, then it shifted once more to the land of akasu it was covered in darkness and depression.
This was to much for me, the once full trees of akasu was now bare hideousnesses. I screaming in anger the swirling stopped, the weakness faded, and the pinking gray mist fading into pure blackness. I opened my eyes to see that I had flopped over to my side.
My body was strangely stronger as my arms slid out of under my body and slowly I raised myself to my feet. Blood spilling from my mouth, but my body was numb I felt no pain. All I felt was rage and anger, I staggered to the magic men, my vision was hazed red. The magic men were taken back from me for some reason, maybe it was this power I was feeling... this power felt evil and as if I could hold the world in the palm of my hand.
“YOU SHALL PAY FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE TO THIS BODY!” my voice was not my own, I remember this voice it was from so long ago when the magic men first met me.
It looked down to my hands the gloves had vanished, they felt so naked with out them. But I was relieved that I had new claws, real back claws. My skin was a pale sickly gray lined with black veins, pumping black venom through my body. Me eyes shifted to the magic men, I was not myself anymore I couldn't control my thoughts all I knew was I wanted to kill every single last one of those stupid magic men.
I launched myself at them screaming in bloody rage, my voice was choppy, and it had a sight gurgle to it. I raised my hand while I was flying in the air at them, curving my nails so I can slice the face right off of the stunned magic mans face. My claws hit their mark slapping the magic man to the ground killing him in one shot, his companions backed off, watching their comrade fall to the floor dead. I loved the feeling of my claws skinning into the soft skin of the human scum.
Then one got the courage to strike me hard in the back of the head with an energy blast sending my sprawling on to the pine needles of the forest floor. Once the others saw that I could be brought down they all jumped in and slammed me left and right with their blasts, slowly beating me to unconsciousness.
The world blackening around me, I looked up my head felt like lead, and what I looked up to enraged me. My Night looking at me horrified, if he moved the net would electrocute him so he didn't dare. But looking into his silvery blue eyes, seeing the terror, the worry, and the sorrow. I growled deeply, the energy blasts feeling numb to me now I had only the felling of hatred, I sprang up onto my feet and roared at them. The roar was demonic and powerful, sending the magic men skidding back a few inches. I roared and roared, loving the feeling of the power surging through me love the fact that I was sending the magic men back.
Suddenly they sprang into action they formed a ball of white light and it exploded into a ray, heading straight for me, I left its light burning my skin. I hissed at it and dodged it at the last second, even though it didn't touch me the pure light of it sizzled and burnt my skin. I was surprised at the sting of it, I looked around from a large crash, and saw my pack scattered about and one of the huge lush trees collapsed on the forest floor from the beam of light.
My rage cooled from the sudden realization that if I continue to fight like this it will bring harm to my pack. My eyes cooled back to normal, as my body shifted back to its normal state, cooling to nothing. As a cooled down my eyes sank low, didn't have any strength to lift my eye lids they closed and I was out.
Back to the swirling mist of pink haze, my body limp and nearly dead. I felt like I was the air itself flowing through a wind tunnel. I heard the moon goddess whispering to me, it was strangely getting louder and louder as I fell deeper and deeper into mist. Suddenly I was gently rested on soft white ground that was glowing with whit haze that moved and separated as I touched it. I looks around feeling very light headed, the room was spinning.
“I will pass my daughter,” I heard the moon goddess in the distance of the haze, which surprised me. “ And no you are not dead, although you almost did. I had to save you from your demon or it would have corrupted you soul.”
I looked down in sadness and ashamed, “I am sorry Moon Mother, I was just so mad and angry.”
“I understand my daughter” Her voice getting closer and I felt her power wash over me healing my wounds to my soul that the demon had left “You can not stay here any longer” She reached down and put a gentle finger under my chin and raised my head to look at her.
My eyes widen in amazement, she was so beautiful. Her long flowing silver hair moving with her power, her eyes glowing pure white. Long white graceful dress hanging off her her body, complementing her curves. Her skin so pale like the moon and its shadows, her face full and soft, long and with a thin chin, her full pink lips smiling softly and lovingly.
“Now its time to go back home, your family is very worried for u my Daughter.” She said as she places her palm on my chest and with a burst of white light slamming into my core, sending me spiraling back down to my body. I watched the Moon Mother looking down on me falling smile sweetly and she turned and disappeared as the mist consumed my vision.
I was turned so I was facing where I was falling and I saw my body on the ground blood pouring from my hair line and mouth. My family trying their best to wake me and heal me but I am not responding, because my soul was not there. I saw my cold soulless eyes staring at me, I reached out for my body and my hand slipped into it easily my body eagerly sucking me in.
Blackness, pain, throbbing, my own heart pounding hard and steady. I opened my eyes weakly, then sucked in a deep breath, shooting up groaning in pain. My family all over to pushing me tot he ground and carrying me to the cave to lay down on the cool stone. The entire time I was in wonder, I saw the Moon Mother, no one is allowed to look upon her unless they are dead, for they have extreme honor. She was so beautiful and her energy was all over me I felt her power coursing through my veins. That blast that she send me back down to my body with was healing me quickly I felt my wounds close. My family looking at me in wonder
“What is the meaning of this magic...” My father asked me.
“Moon Mother...” I said weakly then I shoot up remembering Night. “Where is Night!?”
Everyone in my pack lowered their head, I looked to my father. “He is gone... the magic men took him.”